The City of Light
by jaeisDBSKlove
Summary: Murphy has reached the City of Light, but it's nothing like he expected. The City is run by a young Governor, who is hesitant to let the Sky People join his City. With the help of a girl who saved his life, Murphy will try to bring the Sky People to safety, as he promised Jaha he would. He is thrust into a world of political games, betrayal, and most surprisingly, love. Murphy/OC.
1. Heavy, Dirty Soul

They called it the City of Light, but it was colorless. The streets between the broken buildings were narrow and cramped, dull and grey. The light only managed to illuminate the dullness of the city itself. One shouldn't be fooled, however, it was quite alive, bustling full of people at all hours of the day, but it was more reminiscent of a reanimated corpse than anything else. It was a city back from the dead.

Odette knew it had once been called New York, though that didn't much matter to the people that lived there now. Majority of the buildings were rebuilt ruins, but it was still easy to find "New York" engraved on walls here and there. She imagined it had once been much grander than the mess of buildings it was now. The City itself was quite large, large enough so that most of it had yet to be reclaimed from the destruction nearly one hundred years ago, leaving all of the city's population to live in the same crowded area. She had grown up in the same large house on the same large street for her entire life. It did not escape her how fortunate she was.

Her parents had thrown quite the fit when she decided to move into one of the buildings they owned. The area itself wasn't particularly known for it's safety, but it was a quaint little studio apartment on the bottom level of a larger complex. Her parents owned majority of the real estate within the city, and were quite perplexed by her choice of apartments. It wasn't until she explained to them that she planned to pay her own rent that they understood (though still did not approve).

And so it was in this tiny apartment, in a not so well off area of the City of Light, that Odette found a nearly dead boy on her doorstep.

It was a rainy night that left her tossing and turning, it seemed she could not get comfortable. Something felt wrong; the room, the air, she could not tell, but she was unsettled, to say the least. It wasn't until she heard a soft scraping at her door that it finally made sense.

Crime itself was not unfamiliar to her street, but this was the first time she had seen any criminal act herself, so when she hesitantly opened the door with the largest knife she owned in her hand, she was surprised to find a pool of rain and blood leaking into her apartment.

There was a boy not one foot away, face down in the bloody mixture. At first she was sure he was dead, but his limp, outstretched hand, reaching for her door, made her rethink her assessment.

Without a thought, Odette dropped the knife, stepped into the rain and rolled the boy over. Mud and blood painted his lifeless face. She reached for his neck and found he was warm, a slow pulse beating underneath his clammy skin. She glanced up through the rain, searching the ally for some culprit but found none; the street was empty.

It was then that Odette realized she had only two options. One involved dragging a nearly dead stranger into her apartment, and the other ended his most probable death, neither of which being the preferred choice. After a moment's hesitation, Odette grabbed the boy by his armpits and began to tug.

~

John Murphy awoke with a pounding headache in a dimly lit room. It took him a moment to shake the blurriness from his vision. A surge of energy swam in his stomach as he realized he was in an unfamiliar space, in an unfamiliar bed. His left side was throbbing along with his head. He searched his thoughts for his last memory, but even that was blurry. Murphy made to sit up but recoiled as pain splintered through his body.

The room was small, entirely draped in wood paneling. A bedside table was next to him, a lamp a top it. He was memorized for a moment; it had been over a month since he'd seen electricity, and truthfully he'd never expected to see it again.

"You're awake. Good."

A girl stood just beyond the light.

Murphy tried to sit up again and winced.

"Don't!" She lunged toward the bed, "You could tear your stitches, and I really don't want to have to do that again."

Murphy didn't quite know what to say. He'd never met a civilized human from the ground before.

She had long brown hair that waved around her figure, her blue eyes wide with concern.

"Stitches?" he choked out, his throat raw and raspy.

"Well, yes…" she said slowly, "You were stabbed." She furrowed her eyebrows when he said nothing. "Do you not remember being stabbed? I feel like that's something you'd remember." She plopped down into the wooden chair beside him, crossing her arms.

"No, I—well, vaguely." He recalled the men chasing him and the shock of pain, but after that, nothing.

"Huh. Interesting," was all she said before shooting up from her seat, "Oh! You must be thirsty! Here, let me get you water."

The girl danced around the chair and headed toward a sink on the far wall, next to a refrigerator and small countertop. She grabbed a glass from the shelf above as she turned on the faucet.

"You have running water?" Murphy tried not to sound as astounded as he felt.

"Hmm?" She mumbled, glancing over her shoulder at him, "Oh, yeah. What? You don't?" She resumed filling the cup without expecting an answer. "Sorry. That was rude. I know there are areas of the city without running water." She crossed the room and handed him the water.

Murphy slowly raised himself up to accept the glass. He downed it in three gulps.

"Do you want more?" She asked as he set it on the table beside him.

"Got anything stronger?" He smirked.

She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "Perhaps, but I don't think that's the best idea right now. But hey, I'm no doctor."

"Yet you gave me stitches?"

"Well, it was either that or let you bleed out. At least I'm a seamstress, okay? You've got some professional stitching in your side now." She snatched the empty glass and went to fill it again. "You don't sound very thankful that I saved you're life. Don't make me regret it."

Murphy only let out a small chuckle. His life wasn't exactly some miraculous thing to save.

"What's your name?" He asked after a moment of silence as she filled up the glass again.

The girl returned with a full glass of water and set it on the bedside table. She studied him for a moment, as if deciding if he deserved the information.

"Odette. Odette Hale." She crossed her arms. "And who are you?"

"Murphy."

She raised an eyebrow, "That's it? Just Murphy?"

He rolled his eyes, as if annoyed. "John Murphy."

"Okay, then, John." Odette sat in the chair next to him, "So, are you going to explain to me how you ended up nearly dead on my doorstep in the middle of the night?"

Murphy hesitated, could he tell this stranger the truth? Clearly she assumed he was from the City of Lights, which made sense, but how would she react if she knew he was an outsider? If he lied to her, how long could he keep it up without giving it away? He'd only been in the city a day.

"I, uh," he readjusted himself, fully sitting up in bed, the pain in his side echoing across his abdomen. "I don't remember, really." It wasn't a complete lie, he didn't remember laying outside her door, or bleeding out. He remembered running through the streets, ducking behind street vendors and shimming into alleys, but the men were relentless. They knew he was an outsider, a savage, they called him, but they wouldn't listen. They only wanted him dead. They wouldn't have any savages in their city.

At least they were more merciful than the Grounders had been.

"You don't remember? Anything? Well, what's the last thing you _do_ remember?"

"I—" He had never had trouble lying, but her eyes were filled with earnest concern, and he felt his lie breaking on his tongue. He ran a hand through his hair; it stuck together in clumps. "I was, uh, just walking home. It was late. I guess I went down the wrong street."

"Well, crime isn't exactly uncommon around here." She leaned back and crossed her arms again. "Do you know who did this to you?"

He shook his head, "No. I've never seen them before."

"So you don't remember what happened but you remember who it was?"

He didn't hesitate this time, "I remember faces. Blurs. But I remember not recognizing them." The lies were getting easier the more she pried.

She nodded and pursed her lips, looking away. She wasn't sold on his story and it was painfully obvious.

"Look, I know this sounds bizarre but I—I just don't remember." Murphy put on his most pitiful face.

"Where do you live?" She locked eyes with him.

"What?" He stalled for time.

"You said you were going home, do you live near here?"

"I don't know where I am, exactly." He grabbed for the glass of water and took a long sip, ignoring the pain in his chest.

"We're just east of the Governor's house, on Fell Street." The concern in her eyes had given away to a stern look of suspicion; all her soft curves and turned to rough edges.

Murphy racked his brain for any street sign that he'd seen in his day in the city, only one came to mind. It had struck him when he saw it; it had been one of his mother's favorite composers.

"Beethoven."

Her glare didn't soften, "that isn't exactly close to here."

"I realize." He tried not to break eye contact. He knew looking away would only make him look weak.

The girl sat forward, sighing, as if giving up her investigation. "You must be hungry." She stood and walked toward the stove. The knot in his stomach loosened.

"Yes, now that you mention it." His headache had subsided sometime ago, but the pain in his side was burning.

"I made some soup earlier. I'll warm it up for you."

He could tell she was avoiding looking at him, finding something to busy herself with. They were silent as she stirred whatever was in the pot.

"How did you know to stitch me up?" He asked.

Odette didn't turn around, "I've heard that's what you traditionally do when someone has been cut." There was an edge of sarcasm in her voice.

"I mean—how did you know the damage wasn't more? That simple stitches would save me?" He wasn't as curious about this as he led on to be, but he preferred to keep the conversation on her.

"I didn't. I just stitched you up and hoped you didn't die in my bed. That would have been hell to clean up."

The concerned, soft girl was gone. Suddenly, she was cold and sharp. She knew he was lying.

He watched as she ladled the soup into a bowl and turned off the stove. She paused a moment before turning back toward him, putting her hands on her hips.

"You look, and _smell_ , like you haven't showered in weeks."

He snorted, "Showered? No. I don't have a shower."

She came toward him fast, anger in each step; the robe she wore over her nightgown trailing behind her. "Oh, come off it. I know you're lying." She stood over him, arms crossed. "You looked at that lamp like you've never seen electricity before, you're surprised I have running water, your clothes are covered in sand and mud, your body is full of scars and cuts, you _clearly_ haven't bathed in weeks and you expect me to believe you were randomly attacked in an alley while you were walking to your house on the other side of the City? _Come on._ "

Murphy sighed and rolled his head to stretch his neck. There was no point in pretending anymore. Hopefully she wouldn't rip his stitches out. "You're right. I'm lying."

Odette's eyes grew soft again and her shoulders loosened. "So just tell me who you really are. I deserve to know whose life I saved." She was no longer on the offensive.

Murphy didn't say anything. Instead, he stared at the couch across the room. Where would he even begin?

"If I didn't know better," she said softly, "I'd say you came straight out of the Dead Zone."

His eyes flicked to meet hers, "I did."

"What?" She breathed.

He shrugged his shoulders in defeat, "I did. And that's why they stabbed me."


	2. The Night We Met

Odette fell into the chair beside him. She'd never met anyone who wasn't from the City. She didn't think anyone had ever survived the Dead Zone. "You're from out _there_? You're one of them? A savage?"

He smirked at the word, "if you mean Grounder, no. I'm not a Grounder."

"A Grounder?" Odette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. The term was completely foreign to her.

"That's what we call those savages you're talking about," he explained.

She shook her head, "but if you're not one of them, and you're not one of us, then… where did you come from?"

John clicked his jaw, "the Grounders call us Sky People."

"I've never heard of that." Odette spoke truthfully.

"We…" the boy ran a hand through his hair again, specks of dried mud falling out, he chuckled softly, "this is going to sound crazy to you."

"No, just tell me." She was getting impatient. She'd never thought she'd get a chance to talk to someone who had been out beyond the city limits. The city was almost entirely fenced in from the Dead Zone, but the uninhabited areas still stretched on, unprotected; the rubble was its own defense.

"We're from," he pointed upward towards the ceiling, "up there."

Odette frowned, "Up where? They sky?"

John shrugged, "whatever you want to call it. We were on a space station. Long story short, we crashed here." He looked her dead in the eye, studying her response.

"You're from space..." This was less believable than his last story. There had always been rumors that humans had turned to the sky in their last years, in a desperate attempt to escape the war, but no proof.

John went on to explain what he called "the 100", a group of students who volunteered, he explained, and how they were sent to Earth to die.

"So, you're people sent a bunch of teenagers to Earth to test if it was survivable, without having an idea if it actually was or not? Without knowing the dangers? Without knowing if they had any chance?" she confirmed. "That's barbaric. Why would you agree to that."

"Yup. Well, the Ark was dying. In the end it didn't stop most of them from dying anyway..." he trailed off, an edge of bitterness in his voice.

"What do you mean? You're people are all dead?" A chill swept through her.

He sighed and she wondered how much pain he was in. "The Grounders killed off half of the 100, and the others disappeared. Then the Ark came crashing down in pieces. They will be lucky to find any survivors, if the Grounders don't kill them first."

He acted quite apathetic to the whole thing, but there was a slight edge in his voice: it was anger, sleeping somewhere underneath. And if he was angry, it meant he cared.

"So... this whole time... you thought you were the only ones left? You thought Earth was a wasteland?" She had known a similar feeling, but they always knew the savages existed. Occasionally their bodies would be found in the Dead Zone, and the few who ventured beyond the City came back with stories of vicious people with spears and screamed in foreign tongues. But knowing others existed, even if they were so different than themselves in the City, it always gave her hope that there were groups spread out all over the world. Maybe they all thought they were the last ones left.

John snorted, "Trust me, we did not know there were Grounders down here." He looked at her, "or you."

Odette looked away and bit her lip. His gaze was unnerving; intense without meaning to be. "How many of you are there left, then?"

He shrugged, "who knows? 300? Maybe less? There was only one group alive when I left."

He wasn't looking at her anymore, instead he stared off across the room at the door that led to the bathroom.

"And why did you leave?" She feared he wouldn't answer her question; that it was too personal.

"I was bored."

"You were bored," she repeated, frowning. How stupid. No one would just leave the only safe place they knew because they were _bored_. There had to be a reason.

"I had nothing else to do but sit there and wait to be killed by some Grounders, so."

He was so pessimistic, perhaps he still didn't know the reason himself, or just wouldn't admit it.

"How did you know to come here?" She asked, and he snorted again.

"Oh, we didn't."

She didn't say anything. He knew she was expeting more of an answer and she was too stubborn to ask again.

He sighed, giving in. "The man I came here with, he heard about it. There were more of us, but... well, two of us were blown up and the other two were eaten alive by some sea monster, if that gives you any idea."

"Oh." Blown up? A sea monster? "Is that what it's like out there?" She asked before she could stop herself, a touch of wonder in her voice.

He looked her square in the eye, suddenly very serious, "You've never been?"

She fidgeted, trying to hide how embarrassed she felt. "Of course not! You've been through the Dead Zone, why would anyone want to go there? You'd have to be crazy."

"There's more beyond the Dead Zone, you know. It's not all dust and death." Then he added, as an afterthought, "Though it's not much better."

"I know." Of course she knew, she loved hearing the stories, the rumors of what it was like beyond the City.

"So, you've been here you're whole life?" he asked.

"You've been on a space station your whole life." She couldn't help but feel defensive.

He had no response to that; she was right. They had both been stuck behind walls their entire life. They were two sides of the same coin - two very different sides.

His eyes had darkened, perhaps it hadn't been the best thing to say.

"Where is the man you came with, then?" she questioned.

"I don't know. We were separated."

Odette sat back and crossed her arms, feeling more in control of the conversation again. "You don't sound very worried about him."

He gave a little shake of his head and a quick frown, "yeah, I'm not."

She raise an eyebrow, "doesn't seem like you care about much." It was a taunt; an insult to make him defensive and open up. How could she get a read on him when all he did was shrug?

He didn't take the bait.

"It's kind of hard when literally everything is trying to kill you." He said, simply.

She didn't know what to say to that. "Well, I didn't."

"No, you didn't, not yet anyway," he smirked.

She bit back a smile and went along with it, "not yet."

She studied his face for a moment. Odette had always prided herself on being able to read a person, but she couldn't get a feel for him. Who was he? Other than an angry, sarcastic, apathetic asshole.

"Could I get some of that soup?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Sure. Let me just grab my poison first."

He didn't laugh, but she heard him exhale loudly through his nose as she stood and turned towards the stove. She hesitated, considering rewarming it, but figured he was too hungry to care. He nearly snatched the bowl from her hands before he began eating, without so much as a thank you. She decided to excuse his manners, considering how hungry he was.

"So what are you going to do here?" she asked as he scraped at the bottom of the bowl. "Do you need to find your friend? The one you came with."

He dumped the bowl on the bedside table with a clank and wiped his mouth on the back of his dirty sleeve. "He's not my friend. And no. I don't know." He paused, looking down, "I need to see the Governor."

Odette was surprised, "The Governor? How do you even know about him?"

"I've been here a day. I needed to find out who was in charge."

"What do you want with him?" she asked.

"I need to ask him- to negotiate, if I can bring my people here."


	3. Somewhere a Clock is Ticking

"You _what_? You want to bring your people here?" Odette was surprised; he didn't speak very fondly of his people. Especially not enough to do something so drastic for them. From their short time together, she gathered he had only came here for himself, that he didn't truly care about anyone else. And now he claimed he wanted to bring all of his people here?

"Unfortunately, I made a promise."

"So, that's all it takes for you? A promise? And you'll risk your life crossing the Dead Zone to a get to a city which you aren't even sure exists? To bring the people you don't care about to safety? That makes no sense." She was slightly agitated with him, or perhaps more so with herself. She thought she had finally figured him out and then he'd gone and ruined it.

She watched as he rolled his head, stretching his neck. "I guess so. And look, after all they have done to me, there is no reason I _should_ care about them." The look he gave her was disarming, as if challenging her to probe him further.

"Then why would you do all this for them?" She tried to sound innocent; less demanding. All she wanted was a straightforward answer.

He sighed again, "If they stay there, come winter, they will all be dead. It's not exactly my problem anymore, now that I'm here but..." He trailed off. He sounded conflicted, as if he didn't want to say whatever it was he was about to admit.

She decided to finish his thought for him, "But their your people. And if they all die, you'll be the last of them." He was silent, looking away from her again. "And you'll be alone."

He lifted his eyebrows. "Guess so," and he flicked his eyes to meet hers.

Murphy watched as she pursed her lips. She was quite pretty; her dark hair setting off her light eyes. Her skin was pale enough to suggest she didn't spend much time outside, or at least, not in the sun. But her fragile look did not match the personality underneath. She was forward and quite probing, saying exactly what was on her mind. He still wasn't exactly sure why she had saved his life, perhaps if she had known what kind of life she had saved she wouldn't have. If she had known all he'd done, she wouldn't be talking to him now, she wouldn't let him stay in her bed and eat her food. She was a respectable sort, he could tell.

He felt more vulnerable then ever, sitting here in this girl's bed, in her house, in her city. She looked at him like she was trying to see into his soul, searching for whatever it was that made him tick. But she wouldn't find it there. She wouldn't find anything there.

He ran a hand through his hair, it was stuck together in muddy strands. "Look, I just need to meet with the Governor, then I'll bring my people here and that'll be that. I'll have fulfilled the promise and I'll be free of them."

"Who'd you make this promise too?"

"Does it really matter?" He laid his head back against the headboard, the endless amount of questions were starting to get to him.

"Well, yes," she frowned, "I think it does."

"The man who told me about this place," Murphy breathed. "He promised to bring our people here and I said I would help. He helped me get here. And people don't do things without expecting something in return." It was something he'd understood of people for most of his life. No one gives anything for free without expecting something in return.

So what did she expect from him?

He shook his head, changing the subject. "Why did you save me?" He still didn't understand it.

This time it was her turn to shrug, as she sat back and crossed her arms again, "Well, I couldn't just let you die on my doorstep. I had to do _something_. And there isn't exactly a vast amount of doctors around."

"But you had no idea who I am. You still don't. And yet you dragged a dying, unknown man into your apartment." He was trying to explain to her how insane the whole prospect seemed to him. Doing all this for someone you don't even know? Potentially risking her own safety to save him?

"After I saw you laying there," she shook her head, "I don't think I really had a choice."

They were silent for a moment. He didn't know what to say to that.

"But hey," Odette went on, standing, "I figured if you woke up and tried to kill me, I'd just kill you first." And she smiled. It was a full, earnest smile.

He smirked back at her. "Makes sense."

He watched as Odette grabbed the empty bowl and and walked toward the kitchen sink. She threw it in and turned on the water.

"But it doesn't matter," he continued, her back to him, "I was outside the Governor's house. They say it's nearly impossible to get an audience with him." That's when the men had attacked him. He'd asked too many questions, made it obvious he was an outsider.

"I can get you in to see him," she said, somewhat absentmindedly.

He sat up a bit straighter, pain pulsing in his side. "What?"

Odette shut off the water. She turned to face him, leaning back against the counter. "I could get you in to see him." She looked a bit surprised at herself as she said the words.

"How?"

"Family friends. My parents were friends with the old Governor, his father, before he died. Now his son, Isaac, is Governor. I've known him my whole life." She wrapped her arms around herself.

"You would do that for me?" At a price, he assumed. Why would she do all of this for him for nothing? She saved his life, and now she was going to get him in to see the Governor?

"Why not?" She was looking anywhere but at him.

"And what do you want in return?" He glanced around the room, "You've saved my life, and now this."

She hesitated. "Well, I..." She was searching the floor.

"You what? What do you want." He said, more harshly this time.

She looked at him, "I want to come with you. When you go back for you people, I want to come with you."

He laughed out loud at that. What was she thinking? "Are you crazy? Didn't you hear what I said about what it's like out there? I had to walk through a damn minefield to get here, and that was the least dangerous part."

"I've been here my whole life, John!" She stepped toward him, a touch of pleading in her voice. "I've never took a step out of this city and I never will. This is my _only_ chance."

"You don't know what your asking." He shook his head, "you don't want to go out there." How could he bring this sheltered, civilized girl out there? With the Grounders and now these Mountain Men Clarke had talked about? He'd seen what the ground did to people like her.

"I do. I know it's crazy. But.." She was grasping for words, "But there is a whole world out there... I don't want to die without seeing any of it." She was too proud to beg, but her face couldn't hide how desperate she truly was.

He couldn't take her. He wouldn't. "No. You don't know what your asking. You could die out there." He wished he could stand up. He felt so powerless in that bed, broken, with her standing over him, whole. "Look, you'll get another chance... just, go on a.. a tour or something." He said the first thing that came to mind, whatever he could do to get her to change her mind.

This time it was her turn to laugh, "A tour? That's not what it's like here." She rounded the chair and sat, leaning close to him. He could smell her, a soft, floral scent. "There are guards surrounding the entire populated area of the City. You can't just _leave_. I don't know how you got in, it must have been through the Unclaimed Territory, so listen," she was nearly a foot away now, only looking at him, " _this_ is my only chance. I know it is."

He didn't say anything, just looked at her.

"Trust me, I know it is." She repeated. He felt completely exposed, the way she was looking at him, like he was the only thing in the room.

"Okay." It was a moment of weakness, one that he regretted instantly.

"Really?" Suddenly she was all smiles, and she leapt forward, hugging him.

"Ow ow ow" Shooting pain went through his side and he threw his hands down on the bed to brace himself.

She jumped back, "Oh! I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He winced.

"I'm sorry! I'm such an idiot." She was hovering, not sure what to do to help.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." The pain was beginning to submerge, turning back into a slow burning ache. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise me you're not gonna die out there."

She smiled. It was a sweet little smile, "I promise."


	4. Young God, Young Devil

Odette hadn't spoken with Isaac for over a week now. He mostly left her to herself, which she appreciated. Her parents were much more nosey, but also tended to leave her to her own devices ever since she moved out. They would occasionally send a messenger after her, requesting to meet for dinner or attend a party. They were more like demands really; it's not like she had a choice. Her parents were the second most powerful people in the City after the Governor's family. So, when they expected her at a dinner party, she'd better be there.

Her parents hadn't done much to combat the wealth inequality in the City, but instead continued to charge ridiculous rent. They were a self proclaimed real estate monopoly.

But as a child, Odette would often slip outside to plan one of her grand adventures. She'd sneak about the City, never too far, of course, surely getting her nanny in heaps of trouble. But those days when she crept about the poorest parts of the City, she'd see the starving children and how the imagination had drained from their faces. Their parents were skeletons of themselves. There wasn't enough work for them, or food.

Since then, the Governor had succeed in expanding farming, greatly increasing job opportunities. Preparing City land for farming and raising livestock was a task in itself, but necessary for their survival. Her parents, however, had no hand in this.

But she couldn't pretend she wasn't their only daughter. When an invitation came knocking, she begrudgingly accepted.

Isaac was usually wherever her parents dragged her to. The two of them had been close as children and remained friends, but it was a much more casual relationship since she had moved out on her own.

So, when she called on him the next morning, it wasn't completely out of the blue.

Odette had left John sleeping, although she herself had not slept. Though she may not act like it, part of her was extremely nervous to fall asleep with a stranger in her apartment. She kept a knight under her pillow on the couch, just in case. Now she just hoped he wouldn't have robbed her clean by the time she got home.

The Governor's estate was only a fifteen minute walk away from her apartment. She left around 8 that morning, knowing she'd catch him just around breakfast, before he started his day.

She was let in as soon as she arrived. A guard escorted her into the dining room, where Isaac was having breakfast with his Uncle.

Isaac stood when she entered the room. His uncle, however, did not.

"Odette!" He clapped his hands together. "What a pleasure it is to see you."

He was a tall and lean boy of 24 years, with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes like his father's. His uncle took a sip of his tea and nodded his head in salutation. He was only about twenty years older than Isaac himself, being younger than his brother: Isaac's father.

"It's good to see you, too, Isaac." She smiled, "and you as well, Uncle Basil."

"Indeed," was all Basil said.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Isaac asked, still standing at the head of the table.

"I didn't mean to disturb your breakfast, but I was hoping to speak with you." She glanced at Uncle Basil, "in private."

"Of course." He smiled his crooked smile, "I hadn't even made a plate. Here, Uncle, we won't bother you. The drawing room, then?"

Odette nodded and followed him through the french doors, nerves swimming in her belly.

"How rude of me," he said as he shut the doors behind them, "I didn't ask you if you'd like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She waved it away.

He walked toward the window overlooking the small garden in the backyard: the only patch of green in blocks.

"So, what is it you wanted to speak about? You seem anxious."

She knew exactly what he thought it would be, but she ignored it. She tried to loosen her shoulders.

"Well, I have a, uh, friend who I was hoping you would meet with."

He turned to face her, a curious look hung heavy on his soft features.

"A friend?"

"Yes." She tried to shake all the nerves from her voice as she spoke. "He has a proposition for you. One that I think would be good for the City."

"He?" Isaac lifted an eyebrow.

Odette gave him a knowing look, "Yes, he. Don't go getting all jealous now. It's just politics."

"Isn't it always?" He mused. She didn't say anything. "So, what is this proposition?" He breathed, the tension in the room breaking.

She stood taller, "I'm afraid that's for him to tell."

Isaac nodded, "fair enough. Of course I'll meet with him, if you request it. I trust your judgement."

 _I wish I could say the same_ , she thought.

===

"Oh, wonderful." Odette said as she opened the door to her apartment, "you're still here and so are all my things." She was just as serious as she was joking.

John sat up from the bed. He had taken his shirt off; it lay in a heap on the floor.

 _Dear Lord,_ she thought.

He smirked, almost a smile. She still hadn't seen him smile.

"Not exactly up to stealing at the moment."

She set the basket of food she bought at the market on the table in the center of the room. "Have you tried walking?" she asked.

"To the bathroom and back. That's it." He gestured to the door across from the bed.

"And how did that feel?"

"Painful."

"Well," she sighed, "I guess that's what happens when you get stabbed," and began emptying the contents of the basket on to the table. "So," she continued, "Isaac will meet with you next week. I told him you were, uh, ill."

"Probably best not to mention the whole stabbing thing, yeah," he suggested, a playful tone in his voice.

"Some other things not to mention." She stopped unloading the basket to turn and face him, trying to look only in his eyes. "Obviously you have to tell him where you're from, but don't mention staying here. We will have to make up some story about how we met while you were staying at the Barracks."

"The Barracks?"

"It's like a shelter," she explained, and began unloading the basket again, "with food and beds; it'd make sense you'd end up there. We will just say I was volunteering or something."

"Sure, makes sense." He nodded along, hair falling over his eyes, "I end up in a homeless shelter and you're the hero who drags me out of the hell hole."

"Well, let's be honest, it's not that far off from the truth," she teased.

"Touche." And he brushed the hair from his face.

"And don't mention anything, and I mean _anything_ , about our deal. They would never let us out of here." She said, as she emptied the last of the basket onto the table. "I'm sure they will send guards with you, I'll just pose as one of them."

"Wait, guards? That wasn't part of the plan. And anyway, how are you going to keep their mouths shut?"

"I don't know, threaten them probably. My parents are important people," she said without thinking, beginning to rinse the apples she bought under the faucet. She bit her lip, but continued washing the fruit, her back to him.

"Oh. Well, I supposed that'd make sense if your parents were friends were the Governor." Without looking at him, she couldn't tell what the edge in his voice meant.

"Mhmm," she mumbled, "but it doesn't matter: moved out a year ago. Anyway, "she grabbed another apple, "yes, there will be guards. How else will the Governor know if you've been telling the truth? He can't negotiate without any evidence on your part."

He snorted, "you sound like a governor yourself."

Odette glanced over her shoulder, anger growing in her belly, a slow burning crackle.

"Well, yes, politics was part of my lessons. Did you not have lessons up in space?" And she turned back to her task.

He didn't respond right away, which made her worry. If they didn't have lessons, she'd feel like a right ass. But hadn't he mentioned students before?

"Of course we had schooling," was all he said.

"Didn't you say you were sent down here with classmates?" She turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry her hands.

"Hmm?" He looked up at her, "Oh, yeah."

She turned fully and leaned back on the counter, crossing her arms. "That was a lie too, wasn't it."

"Yup," and he dragged his hand down his face, rubbing his eyes.

Half of her wondered how she could ever trust him, especially when traveling into dangerous territory. The other half didn't care.

"Do you want an apple?" She asked, grabbing one from the counter. He nodded and she tossed it to him before crossing the room to sit at the table. She ran a hand through her hair. "So, if the 100 weren't your classmates, who were they?"

He turned the apple over in his hands, studying it. "Delinquents... Expendable." Then he looked at her, to see how she'd react.

She didn't respond, but instead considered what this meant. This boy that'd she saved, that she'd let eat her food and sleep in her bed... he was a criminal.


	5. To Build a Home

Of course she'd brought a criminal into her home. What did she expect to happen when she decided to nurse a dying stranger back to health?

She nodded and looked down. "Well. I suppose you know what the next question is."

He shook his head. "Does it really matter what I did? What _we_ did? God knows we've all done worse things since we've been on the ground," He said bitterly.

"Well, yes, it does matter. You could have killed someone for all I know." She threw her hands up.

John didn't say anything, instead he glanced toward the quilt that covered his legs. It felt like a rock in her stomach.

"Oh god, you _did_ kill someone, didn't you." She stood up again, she couldn't sit still. She paced to the counter and turned again. "Who?" It was more of a whisper than a question. "Who did you kill?" She tried to be delicate; non accusing. She knew she should have been worried about his reaction. What if he was some merciless killer? She knew nothing about his life before he came here. She quickly brushed the thought aside. Perhaps it was just because he was injured, or perhaps it was because she had saved his life, but something inside her knew he wouldn't hurt her.

He still wasn't looking at her. "Everyone I know has killed. That's what it's like out there." Finally he met her eyes, "That's what it's like beyond the Dead Zone. You have to survive." He shrugged one shoulder, "and sometimes that means you have to kill before they kill you."

It wasn't exactly an answer. Maybe he was right, maybe it didn't matter, not if that's what it was really like out there. Did he even know their names? Were they savages or his own people? She considered probing, asking the how, when and why, but she decided to leave it. For now, at least. No matter who he was, or what he'd done before, he was her only ticket out of the City.

"That's where we are going," he said, after she didn't respond. "That's the place you've dreamed about."

She just looked at him, anger beginning to build. For a moment she wasn't sure where it was coming from, but then she knew: she was angry at him for trying to deter her, for trying to scare her into staying.

"I'm not an idiot," she spoke through clenched teeth, "I know it's not going to be like it is here. I know it's not going to be safe."

He crossed his arms, "well, you are an idiot for going out there willingly, that's for sure. You're safe here. You have a normal life. Why would you risk all that?"

Was that a sliver of jealousy in his voice?

"There is a whole world out there." Odette stood, "One that I'll never see. I mean, you've seen in from space!"

"And everything out there wants to kill you." He mumbled and sank deeper into the bed.

She pursed her lips, trying not to say something she'd regret. She was venturing out there willingly, she had to remember, and he was never given that choice. But this time, this time he did have a choice. "You're choosing to go out there again."

He shook his head and sighed, as if she just didn't get it, "I don't have a choice."

She wanted to say she didn't either, but that would be a lie. And it would be stupid. He was risking his life to help his people, and she was just being selfish.

"So," he broke the silence, "knowing you'll be traveling into unknown dangerous territory with a murderer doesn't change your mind at all?"

When he put it that way it sounded even more stupid. She shook her head.

"You're stubborn as hell," he said, but it wasn't an insult; the way he said it, it was almost a compliment.

"Besides, we will be surrounded by trained guards." She was digging, trying to defend her illogical decision.

"Have you ever even shot a gun?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Actually, yes." She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot, "we go hunting in the Unclaimed Territories sometimes."

He snorted, "Well, at least I won't have to teach you how to hold a gun. Just be thankful there will be a bunch of trained guns around, though I don't know how much it'll help..." he trailed off.

"What do you mean?" She asked, the anger starting to subside, "The savages don't have guns."

He shook his head, "No. They don't. But the Mountain Men- they do."

"The Mountain Men?" Odette had never heard the term.

"I don't know much about them," he began, "They took a bunch of our people. They live under Mount Weather. All I know is they are dangerous, more dangerous than Grounders."

"Mount Weather..." She tried to remember the maps she'd studied in her lessons. "That's far from here. And I've never heard of any savages with guns." She pretended to reassure him, but it was mostly for herself.

"They aren't savages," he raised his voice to drive the point across. "They are civilized, scientific, even."

"Well, so are we," she defended.

"And so were _we_. But they still took half of us anyway."

She shook her head and turned back to the sink. None of this would change her mind, only make her more uneasy. But she knew one thing: when she left the City of Lights, she couldn't be afraid. She had to be strong.

"You'll have to tell Isaac what you know of these Mountain Men. But you aren't going to change my mind."

"I don't think you understand what you're walking into."

"Yes, you've made that quite clear," she snapped.

He was silent.

"I will never know unless I go. And that's that," she said quietly, grabbing the head of lettuce on the counter and holding it under the faucet. "So, what shall we have for dinner?"

* * *

The next few days did not pass quickly. Murphy was in pain and was eager to get out of bed. Odette wouldn't let him though, not unless it was to go to the bathroom (on the third day she finally let him shower). She had "borrowed" extra clothes from the Barracks for him to wear. He had asked why she just didn't sew him some and she gave him a quick, dirty look.

There was not much for him to do while recovering. She gave him a few books he'd never heard of, but instead spent most of his time examining the old atlas she had. It was overly worn and falling apart from years of Odette reading it. He had seen Earth from afar, and there were old maps on the Ark, but he'd never been given much time to look through them.

"Do you think it all still looks like this?" he asked one night while pouring over a map of Europe. Odette lay on the couch opposite him, hand stitching a dress for a client. He was amazed she could see in the low light of the lamp.

"Hmm? Oh." She looked up and saw the atlas in his lap. "You'd know better than me, you're the one that's seen Earth from space." And she turned back to her stitching. She loved reminding him of that.

"Well, I mean the bombing... it could have ruined all these features. And the people..." he trailed off. When he was in the Arc, he'd never though of life existing on the Ground. They knew it didn't. But since he'd be on Earth, they'd found three different civilizations. Was it like this everywhere?

"There has to be more people out there." Odette spoke, as if reading his mind. She didn't look at him, but he was watching her as she pulled the thread through the hem, "There has to be. Earth's too big for us to be the only ones left."

"You sound pretty confident about that."

She looked up, "I am," and she smiled.

Most every night went something like that. Odette ran errands during the day while he slept. Then she'd come home in the afternoon and sew. He'd mostly sleep through that too, the mowing of her sewing machine only reminding him of the hum of the Ark. It was like a heartbeat.

He'd wake at sometime in the afternoon, spend a good hour teasing her while she worked, and eat. She would wait until the sun had gone down the make dinner, and they'd chat while she cooked. One night she had brought home a bottle of red wine, and, to his surprise, she allowed him to have a glass.

She told him about her family; about how they were rich and generally horrible people. She told him about the City, the history and the culture. It was easy for her to get lost in conversation while she sewed or cooked, leaving Murphy to get to know her without having to say much about himself.

And then at night she'd lay in her makeshift bed on the couch in the soft light, hand stitching or reading. She would fall asleep well before him. He'd stay up most of the night, studying the maps, or flipping through her books. It was always a comfort to look up and see her sleeping there. After a week, he already felt at home in that tiny little apartment in an unknown city.

On the 7th day, after Odette had returned from shopping that morning, she found him pouring himself a glass of water.

"Do you think you're well enough to see Isaac tomorrow?" she asked.

Part of him wanted to say no, party of him wanted to stay here. But that would be a lie. And he couldn't stay here.

"Yes."


	6. The Leaver's Dance

It was a crisp, cool morning and a soft haze hung over the City. The walk to the Governor's estate was a short one compared to his usual journeys on the Ground. Though the air was noticeably cooler than he remembered, he was glad to be back outside; he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it.

Odette walked a few feet in front of him, not saying anything. She'd already spent the whole morning at the apartment reminding him what not to say and what not to do; feeding him the correct lies about the Barracks and what not.

They walked in silence as she led him through the quiet streets. Most people were not out yet, though there were a few vendors here and there beginning to set up their cart for the day. A few scantly clad children ran past them, chasing a dog and laughing, their bare feet slapping against the pavement. _They must be freezing_ , he thought.

"Up there," Odette called behind her. Murphy had seen the Govenor's mansion before, in fact, him probing around outside it is what got him chased and stabbed in the first place, but he was still surprised at its grandeur.

An iron cast fence wrapped around the green grass, and beyond that rose the large white house. It was in stark contrast to the dark grey of the rest of the City. It's tall white columns in front supported the upper balcony, while an east and west wing stretched out in both directions.

The two guards in front opened the doors for Odette immediately, but gave Murphy a questionable look as he made to follow her.

"Don't worry, he's with me," she said, and the guard resumed their stance outside the fence. No questions asked.

"Jeez, you must be important..." he mumbled as he followed her up the long sidewalk to the house. She shrugged.

An older man in a three piece suit opened the front door for them and led them into the drawing room to the right. The room was large and ornately decorated, with a nearly ridiculous amount of furniture. Instead of sitting, Odette paced around the room. Murphy fell into a plump chair.

"I hope he meets us in private instead of-" Odette began, but was cut off as a second door opened, a guard stepping through.

"The Governor will see you now," he said.

"... in there." Odette finished.

The two followed the man through the door into a large, white room. The floor was marble, and columns lined the middle, leading to a large wooden chair atop a pile of stairs. A small group of people crowded around the base of the stairs.

"Christ. This is a _throne_ room." Murphy whispered, half amused and half appalled.

Odette shrugged sheepishly, "Yes... and this is where you'll have audience with him. So."

Murphy walked in tandem beside Odette as they approached the crowd of people, who stared back at them silently. It was unnerving, but Odette held her head high, her steps firm with confidence. The group cleared a path for them as the approached the throne.

The Governor appeared from a door behind the throne. He was a tall, young guy, with a smug grin across his face, dressed in a crisp, three piece suit. He was only a few years older than Murphy himself. Murphy wasn't quite sure what he had expected, but it sure as hell wasn't this.

The Governor took his seat on the Throne and leaned forward. "You may approach," he said.

Odette stepped forward first. "Governor," she began. "This is John Murphy, of the Sky People."

"The Sky People?" The Governor said before she could go on. "I've never heard of this clan."

"Not a savage," she corrected, "his people, they were on a space station..."

The room burst into voices, murmurs and whispers, drowning out the rest of her sentence.

The Governor held up a hand and they were silent. He looked to Murphy, instead of Odette, and said, "go on."

Murphy glanced at Odette for a moment as she looked back at him, a glimmer of worry in her eye. Murphy swallowed and took two large steps towards the Throne.

He proceeded to tell the Governor the same slightly altered, summarized version of how his people had got there. He didn't talk of the grounders attacking them, or the Mountain Men. Instead, he expressed that he had left his people in hopes of finding another civilization.

Then the room was silent.

Murphy watched and waited as the Governor chewed over his story.

"First, answer me this," he started, readjusting himself in his Throne, "Do you're people want to come here? Is that what this visit is about?"

Murphy hesitated. None of his people knew he was there. For a moment he wondered if anyone even cared he was missing.

Probably not.

But Jaha knew he was in the City, at least, _near_ the City... wherever the hell he was.

"They don't know where I am." He admitted. "Coming here was a leap of faith. We didn't even know the City actually existed."

"We?" The Governor raised an eyebrow.

"There was a few of us, but I'm all that's left." He changed the subject, "I can go back to my people, explain everything about this place, and bring them here."

"You're willing to go back across the Dead Zone?"

Murphy felt himself smirk, "There are worse things beyond the Dead Zone. But yes. They deserve to know there is a chance for safety." Though it pained him to admit it, he knew it was true. They'd all been through so much in their short time on the Ground; they'd never be the same, him especially. But here they could start the new life on the Ground they'd all dreamed of.

"Odette," the Governor began, "you brought this to my attention. You thought this was a good idea. Why?"

She didn't miss a beat, "Imagine what we can accomplish with our knowledge of the ground and their knowledge of the sky? They must know technologies we don't, and we know things about the Earth they don't. Together, our civilizations could flourish. We could give them refuge and in exchange they could help us take back the Unclaimed Territories; we could _grow_. We've just been surviving, a stagnant society." She looked back to Murphy, "They are the key to bringing life back into this City. They are a new beginning, for all of us."

The crowd had begun murmuring again.

Damn, she really was a politician.

"Very well," the Governor nodded. "You will go to your people and explain this compromise. When you return, bring a leader to speak for your people. Once we have agreed upon term in person, your people will be allowed sanctuary here. Provided you are telling the truth."

Murphy opened his mouth to speak but bit his tongue. Traveling there just to bring back a leader to agree upon terms would take ages. The longer it took, the more would die. And the longer he'd be from his new life in the City.

"The longer we-" he began, but was cut off by Odette.

"He accepts your terms, sir." She shot him a look and he shut up.

"Are you well enough to travel?" The Governor asked.

Murphy nodded, though in all honesty he wasn't sure.

"Very well." He said again, and stood. "I'll arrange for my guards to prepare and meet you at the front gate tomorrow morning at first light. Just be there." He looked to Odette, "If I could have a word." He turned and disappeared behind a door before she could answer.

Odette turned to Murphy, "I'll just meet you out front," she said before running up the stairs behind the Governor.

Murphy was escorted outside where he impatiently waited for Odette. She returned after nearly fifteen minutes.

"What was that about?" he probed as they began walking away from the Estate.

"Oh, you know," she sighed, "how I met you, why I trusted you, why I kept you a secret. The usual over protective bullshit."

"Overprotective?" Murphy repeated, before realizing they weren't walking the same way they'd come. Being lost in a forest for so long had made him hyper aware of paths and directions.

"Hey- where are we going?"

"The Barracks," she answered, walking ahead of him. "Now that they know you're here and they think that's where you're staying, we might as well make a show of it."

After he didn't respond she said, "And you should probably stay there tonight. I'll meet you at the front gate in the morning with the guards. Do you need me to bring anything from my apartment?"

He shook his head, "no." There was a rock sitting in his stomach. It was finally hitting him that he'd be traveling back, across the Dead Zone, through the Grounders, to people who didn't even care if he was alive or dead. Why was he even doing this? He brushed the thought away.

"How are you going to infiltrate the guards without them knowing?" He asked, in step behind her.

"I'll figure it out. Just don't act suspicious tomorrow, alright?"

"Gotcha." He didn't like this idea.

They didn't speak for the rest of the short trek to the Barracks. As the approached he spotted it; it nearly impossible to miss: a large, grey rectangle of a building, with hardly any windows. Smoke churned from numerous chimneys throughout the building's roof. People were spilling out of the wide front door, hovering outside around a small fire for warmth.

And it a moment his eyes locked on a familiar face: Jaha.


	7. My Favorite Faded Fantasy

Odette looked back at John, who had stopped in place. He starred straight ahead, his eyes burning.

"John, what is it?" She asked, but he didn't look at her. Instead, he took four large steps forward and faced a weary looking man.

"Jaha. You're alive, "he smirked, "what a shame."

The man gave a subtle smile and finally looked up at him.

"It's good to see you too, John." He said.

Odette stepped forward, "you know him?" She felt the tension building between the two of them. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private?" She suggested, noticing the group of onlookers.

"I have a cot?" The man said, half sarcastically.

Odette frowned. Who was this man? Was he from the Sky too? "Just follow me."

The men followed her in heated silence. Even though they were behind her, she could feel John's silent anger billowing off of him. She hoped none of Isaac's guards had seen the small altercation, or them following her back to her flat.

When they arrived, the man, Jaha, immediately fell into a chair at her dining table. He looked horrible.

"Let me get you water." She said, and poured him a glass. He drank it nearly as fast as John had when he had woken up.

After a moment of silence Jaha said, "I truly am happy to see you alive."

John smirked. "I'd say the same. Now you can complete your own mission so I don't have to."

"To go back for them?" The man chuckled softly and shook his head, "Don't you think I already would have done that if I could?"

John crossed his arms, "What does that mean?"

"I'm sick, John I could hardly cross this City, much less the Dead Zone."

"So much for destiny, huh?" John said after a moment's hesitation.

"Perhaps my destiny was to bring you here."

John laughed at that, a big full smile across his face. "Get off it, Jaha. There is no such thing as destiny. Just ask Craig," he added, darkly. "Besides, it doesn't matter. We are already going back. I've spoken with the Governor. I made you a promise, unfortunately."

"This isn't about promises and you know it, John. Go back and save them from the Grounders, from the Mountain Men."

Odette sat at the table in silence, listening intently. It was like watching a piece of John before he'd come to the City.

"I have to bring a leader of our people here to speak for them, but now that you're here, maybe you can," John proposed. It was the most neutral thing he'd said during the entire conversation.

"You're a leader?" Odette asked, trying to understand exactly what was happening between them; trying to piece together who they were before they came to the City for refuge.

"Not anymore," he said. Something about him was solemn; almost sad.

"He was the Chancellor back on the Ark," John explained, then turned back to Jaha. "Ya know, back when you use to float people for any crime," he said bitterly.

"Float?" Odette asked.

"Execute," John said.

The ex chancellor ignored John's comment. "You'll have to bring Kane; he's the Chancellor now. Perhaps Abbey."

"And Clarke and Bellamy. If they aren't all dead," John added.

"Sure."

Odette knew no one that they had mentioned. She realized John never had really mentioned any specific names when he spoke of the Ark.

"I'll have to get hem to trust me," John said, slowly, "which may be the bigger problem."

"What? Why wouldn't they trust you?" Odette asked, her stomach sinking. He had mentioned anything about _that_ being a problem. Just the whole potential death part.

John rolled his head around, as if cracking his neck, but she felt that it was mostly to avoid making eye contact. "I wasn't the most loved person in Camp, generally speaking." He turned back to Jaha, "they'd trust you. But without you... If you don't come back, they may think I've killed you or something."

"I'll write a letter explaining everything, and that all you say is true. Kane knows my signature. But I am trusting you, John." Jaha offered.

"And i'll be with you." Odette added, "I'll explain about the City. They can't possibly think I'm a savage."

Jaha raised an eyebrow, "you're going with him?"

Odette bit her lip, perhaps she had spoken too soon. But who was he going to tell?

"Yes," she glanced at John, who was watching her intently. "But no one knows, they can't know. Not yet."

Jaha nodded, "well, I agree, he should have you with him. Though it will be dangerous."

Odette nearly rolled her eyes. "I know." Then she changed the subject, "are there more of you in the City? I thought John was the only one."

"It's just us." John answered for him. "He made sure of that. Excuse me." And he turned and walked straight out the door without another word.

Odette turned her hands over in her lap as she sat beside Jaha. What had happened between them to make John hate him so?

"Sorry about that," Jaha said.

"What did you to do him?" she asked quietly, deciding beating around the bush was fruitless.

"Take your pick. Floating his father for committing a crime? Putting him in the Skybox for acting out after his mother died? Sending him to Earth? Or perhaps him being hung for the murder of my son because the real murderer couldn't kill me? There's plenty of reasons. I was just doing my job. But-" He paused, "i also brought him here."

Odette scowled. How could such a seemingly timid, wholesome man be responsible for all that? She was slowly starting to realize how little she truly knew about John and his past. He was a criminal, after all, a killer, even.

Odette got up from the table and fetched a blank sheet of paper and a pen. She lay it down in front of Jaha. "Write then letter. Then perhaps you should leave." Jaha only nodded and picked up the pen as Odette turned and walked toward the door.

She stopped before she opened it, her helpful nature getting the better of her. Without turning around she said, "I will send a doctor to take a look at you in the Barracks." Then she pulled the door open and stepped outside to find John.

He was crouched down, leaning back on her apartment building. His hands were folded against his forehead. He hadn't heard her.

"John," she said, stepping toward him.

His head snapped up, and within a moment he was standing, dusting off his pants.

"Jaha is writing the letter now, then he is leaving. I think you should go with him," she explained, and for a moment she saw a flash of confusion across his face. Something else was there too, but it had come and gone so quickly she couldn't tell. Anger, perhaps? Pain?

"Back to the Barracks, I mean. That's where they expect you to be staying. I don't want to raise suspicion."

He nodded without looking at her, instead he watched the people passing by them.

"And tomorrow, when you get to the gate, don't look for me. I'll be there. I'll be with you, even if you don't see me. Just trust me. I'll be there."

Finally he looked at her again, a strong determination burning somewhere behind eyes, and nodded again.


	8. A Dustland Fairytale

Murphy was not exactly sure what the "front gate" of the City was, he just knew the general area. So he headed west, following the streets that Odette had advised him too. She'd told him not to look for her in the guards, but the thought made him anxious. What if she wasn't there? Even though she promised she would be? He wouldn't know until they were far from the City. He'd be alone, with strangers.

But what if she _was_ there? What wrath would they face when the Sergeant realized she'd snuck out of the City with them? Would he force them to return and face the Governor? And what if something happened to her out there?

Quite honestly, he felt anxious thinking about it either way. Part of him wanted her to be there with him, but the other part wanted her to stay safe behind the City's walls.

He knew he was at the Gate as soon as it was before him. You couldn't miss it. He didn't realize this part of the City actually was surrounded by a large dark wall. The Gate loomed before him, tall and daunting. Guard towers were perched on either side and a group of guards were circled around the doors. They were covered in all black gear, including large goggles and a bandana around their hair, circling around to their mouth. As he drew closer, he noticed there was an even mixture of men and women among them.

 _She's there._ He thought.

One broke from the group and approached him, while the other scattered into a straight line.

"John Murphy. I'm Sergeant Coal." He reached out a hand to greet him, but Murphy just looked at it and raised an eyebrow. The man withdrew it begrudgingly.

"These are my guards?" Murphy asked, glancing behind the man. He couldn't make out any of his features, nor that of any of the guards. Which one was Odette?

"These are guards, yes," the Sergeant corrected.

"This wall is a bit much, huh? I mean, you have a whole dessert you and the Grounders."

The Sergeant turned and glanced up at the wall next to him, "The West Gate faces the narrowest patch of desert before you reach the forests. If my information is correct, you took the long route, coming up from the South through the Unclaimed Territories."

Murphy nodded, "and the mine field. And the lake with the sea monster."

"The long and more dangerous route, then. That's why we have built a Gate on the west side of the City, simply for protection where the City is weakest."

"Sure. Whatever." Murphy said as he began walking towards the guards standing in a line, trying to size them up while remaining nonchalant. Odette had instructed him not to act suspicious.

The Sergeant met him in front of his men and blasted through a string of names that were all foreign on Murphy's ears. The men and women saluted and turned sharply to face the Gate.

"Here, your pack. Goggles and the scarf are in their along with all your food and water rations. You got new boots at the Barracks, right?"

Murphy nodded again as he dug through his bag for the goggles. He slapped them on his face and threw the bag over his shoulder, doing his best not to think about the potential threats in the journey before him.

"Alright. I'm ready."

The Sergeant turned and singled to the guard tower on the right. The large doors let out a terrible screech as the slowly opened to reveal the wasteland of dust and death before them.

"Great," he mumbled, and followed the guards out of the City.

xxx

By the time the sun had gone down, they had still not reached the forest. Sergeant Coal said one more full day would get them to the tree line.

This was not the first time Murphy was forced to sleep in the sand, but it was no better than before. The wind became blisteringly cold at night, and inhaling sand was a common problem.

He had laid down on top of the blanket from his pack, choosing to face the cold than choke on sand. He was exhausted, and thankful no one had mentioned him when discussing watches.

The day had been quiet. They had all stomped through the sad in near silence, pausing once or twice to look at the map. The Sergeant gave him a quick run down of their route, but Murphy felt once he was in the forest he'd be able to find his way back to Camp.

Odette had not exposed herself to him, as he'd expected her to do. He'd tried to pick her out from the mess of guards during the day, but never felt confident that he knew which one was her. It made him uneasy as he lay there trying to sleep. Perhaps she hadn't been able to bribe one of the guards and she was still back in the City, sitting at her sewing machine, angrily working away. Perhaps she missed him.

He fell asleep that night hoping to be awoken by her voice, looking into her eyes with the stars blazing behind her.

But instead he blinked his eyes against the morning sun.

xxx

After a quick breakfast, the day began anew, much like the day before. The same sand, the same sun, the same people, the same silence.

It wasn't until they could see the tree line and the sun had nearly given way to dusk that it happened.

He kept walking, head down, anxiously awaiting the trees and the shade. When the guard next to him swayed a bit too close. It was odd, and at first, he was prepared to be defensive, But after a few more steps, he felt a soft pressure in his gloved palm. It was such a soft, quick pulse that he wasn't entirely sure it had happened. He glanced up at the guard who was now a full foot in front of him and saw a tress of brown, wavy hair slipping out, and he knew, then, that it was her.

She was here.

In that moment all of the fatigue and the pain was swept from his body. He stood taller and his steps were larger, a new energy burning inside him. She was here and she was with him.

xxx

That night they slept under the trees, just out of reach of the Dead Zone. No one had appeared to notice the quick, intimate interaction between them, but Odette still ignored him for most of the evening. She even slept on the other side of the camp, nearly in the sand. He supposed it was an excuse to keep her scarf wrapped around her head one more night. He tried not to take it personally.

Murphy had begun to believe that perhaps the journey would go off without a hitch, but it was short lived.

That morning while they were packing up, Odette's bandana fell. It was a miracle she had been able to keep her indignity a secret that long, honestly. The guard next to her saw it first, noticing her long hair come tumbling out. Apparently, whoever Odette was impersonality, did not share the feature.

"You dropped your-" the other guard, Kyle? had bent down and grabbed it for her, but was clearly put off by her hair. "Whoa. Wait. Who are you? Sarg!"

Sergeant Coal was there in an instant. All Murphy could do was watch.

The Sergeant grabbed Odette's arm to keep her still as he ripped off her goggles. Murphy nearly flinched.

Odette's face held a sheepish smile. "Um, hi." Clearly she hadn't thought this part through. Murphy snorted.

"Odette Hale? What the HELL are you doing here? Where is Private Jaxen?" The Sargarent nearly screamed it. With his mask off, Murphy could finally see his age. He was an older man, his hair starting to grey, and wrinkles beginning to etch themselves onto his face.

"I'm, um... She's..." She shook out her wild hair.

"The Governor is going to kill me, you know. Now we've wasted two days! I have to bring you back. He will have my head." Sergeant Coal let go of her arm in disgust.

"No!" She nearly yelped, "no, no. We don't need to go back. We are already too far! I'll protect you. I'll tell him the truth; you knew nothing. None of you knew anything. This was my choice."

The Sergeant just kept scowling, clutching the gun on his side.

"If you die out here," he said so quietly Murphy could hardly hear him, "he will kill me."

"I know," she said softly, "but-"

Suddenly an arrow cut threw the air above their heads: a warning shot.

Grounders.


	9. Bad Blood

"Get down!" Murphy yelled, nearly jumping on Odette. The two crouched together, hands guarding their heads, waiting for another shot.

But there was nothing.

Murphy looked up at Sergeant Coal who stood over them with his gun drawn. Three men behind him also had their guns pointed in the direction the arrow had come.

Murphy silently cursed being unarmed.

They stayed like that for a moment, all holding their breath; the calm before the storm, but nothing came. Murphy realized how tightly he had his arm around Odette's shoulder. She had her head down, buried into his chest.

"They... they aren't attacking." He heard one man whisper, while another kept repeating, "I don't see them, I don't see them."

The Grounders weren't usually ones to hesitate. They only knew strength and survival. Why would they initiate a fight, then draw back?

After a minute, Murphy let go of Odette and stood, instructing her to stay down. By now the rest of the guards had surrounded them, guns pointed beyond the trees.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Murphy yelled, his voice frighteningly loud against the silence. He felt Odette grab his arm in desperation, trying to pull him back down, hissing something he couldn't make out. The Sergeant had turned his gun on him in surprise.

That's when he heard the sound of footsteps breaking twigs and leaves crunching. The Grounders wanted to be heard. They were coming closer.

"There!" one of the guards shouted, pointing his gun ahead of him.

The first Grounder appeared from the trees, hands raised above his head. He was astounding large, dressed in full forest camouflage, with a buzzed head and a sharp jaw.

Murphy held his hand up, to signal to the guards to hold their fire, just as the Sergeant did the same.

Five more Grounders appeared behind him, all with their hands up, weapons strung over their back. Murphy had never seen them act this way; he was immediately suspicious. Perhaps they had learned their lesson after they had wiped out so many at the drop ship. But they had had the advantage of surprise?

Murphy stepped in front of Odette, who was standing now.

"Why did you stop?" Murphy asked, trying to sound as forceful as possible.

"We recognize you, Sky person," the leader said. His voice was deep and hollow. "But these are the people of the City, who don't often travel past the Dead Zone. It is a particular situation to find you in."

"They know you?" Odette whispered behind him, but he didn't turn to look back at her. He didn't trust the Grounders enough to take his eyes of them, nor did he wish to remember the time he spent at their camp.

"Oh yeah, they kept me captive for a while. We had a grand old time." He didn't recognize any of their Grounders in front of him as his torturers, but he hadn't been in the best state of mind at the time. "What do you want?"

The Grounder leader put his arms down, resting them on a belt tied around his waist, "We simply want to know why a Sky Person is traveling with City People?" His english was quite good for a warrior, perhaps he held higher position Murphy originally guessed.

Murphy hesitated, unsure if he should tell the truth. The last thing he wanted was the Grounders to feel threatened and go on the defensive while he was trying to bring his people to safety.

In a second, Odette was standing in front of him, facing the Grounders.

"We are on a peaceful, diplomatic mission. We do not intend you, nor any other clans, harm," she said. Murphy held his breath. _What was she thinking?_

"A diplomatic mission?" The Grounder asked, stepping forward, "and who are you?"

She didn't hesitate, "I'm Odette Hale." Then after a second she said, "the City of Lights' Ambassador. And you are?"

"Broxen of the Wood Clans." He crossed his arms, "Well, Ambassador Hale, I suppose it would be your civic duty to explain to the Woods Clan exactly what you are doing in their forests?"

Murphy took a step forward, standing by her side. He wasn't exactly sure why he moved, he had nothing to say - didn't know what _to_ say - but he felt it was necessary.

"I have been sent to treat with Sky People. We only intend to bring them back to the safety of the City. We will be extracting them from your forests."

It felt like there was a boulder in Murphy's stomach. He didn't know what Odette's plan was, but explaining their plan to the Grounders just didn't feel right. It meant trusting them, and he couldn't do that. He could feel Odette's hand shaking slightly next to his, but her voice was as strong as ever.

"You're planning to ally yourself with the Sky People?" Broxen questioned, "Why would you tell me that?" He didn't sound threatened, or angry, just curious.

"As I said before, we mean you know harm. We have nothing to hide. The City has never threatened the Wood Clans or attacked you, why would we? We have no reason to. We are safe behind our desert and our walls. We only wish for safe passage through these woods to Camp Jaha. Then the Sky People can join us in the City, and they will forever be out of your forests."

Perhaps reasoning with them might work - for now. But Murphy knew them. They weren't reasonable people.

Broxen mauled it over for a moment. "I cannot speak for all my people, but I accept your candor. Do not harm any of us, and we," he motioned to the other five behind him, "will not hurt you. The Sky People are a problem would we like to get rid of. Perhaps if you could do this for us, this could work in everyone's favor."

"Indeed, I agree." Odette nodded.

Broxen's eyes bounced between Odette, Murphy and the guards behind him, then he began backing away, "Then it's agreed. You may be on your way."

As they retreated into the trees, Murphy grabbed Odette's arm, as he wished he could while they were speaking, as a sign of reassurance. Now, it was just to make sure she was okay.

She exhaled loudly, as if she had held her breath the entire conversation and took a step closer to him, relieved by his support.

"What were you _thinking_?" he whispered, "they could have killed us. They could have killed _you_." She didn't understand, the Grounders didn't _talk_. They acted. Retreating was completely uncharacteristic of them. Murphy knew they still had to have something up their sleeve.

"I don't know. I needed to show them we were not a threat, how else are we going to get back to your camp?" Her voice was unsteady now, her composure leaking.

"You told them everything. That could be very dangerous." Sergeant Coal said from behind them.

"Hey- we are alive aren't we?" Murphy snapped, not entirely sure why he was being so defensive. He was right, it could be dangerous.

"Lying would have been worse," Odette managed, "there was nothing else to do." She took a deep breath and then stepped away from Murphy, forcing him to let go over her.

She walked over to the Sergeant, another wave of confidence had swept upon her again.

"That's why I'm here. That's why you need me." She said, forcefully.

"You aren't an Ambassador." The Sergeant reminded her, his eyebrows crossed in anger.

"I'm the closest thing you have to one. I don't fight with guns or strength, I only have my words. And that's why _you need me._ " She was inches from his face now, not backing down. But neither was he.

"We are too far to take you back now," he said, after a moment. Then he looked back to his guards, "PACK UP!" he shouted, "we are moving out."

xxxx

Odette was still shaking by the time they had collected all their things and began their journey through the forest. She was amazed by how _green_ everything was. But even it couldn't distract her from her fear. She had been so scared that morning when they Grounder's approached. Perhaps she had been too risky, perhaps she had ruined everything, but for now, they seemed safe. It didn't stop the thoughts from creeping into her mind throughout they day, though.

John stayed closest to her as they walked. The guards may be there for their protection, but she couldn't help feeling more protected by John. He was a constant in her vision since they'd left the City. In this unfamiliar place, he was the one thing that felt familiar, somehow.

He spoke and joked with her most of the day, while the other guards remained silent. As the sun began to set and they settled in a new camp site, she was finally beginning to feel at ease in the forest.

She set up her blanket and pack not far from his that night, under a tree, a bit away from the fire. John settled closer to the fire, but near enough to her that they could chat while they fell asleep. The Sergeant and remained silent and brooding all day. She was surprised he didn't yell at them to shut up.

But that night, after she drifted into a soft, silent sleep, she was ripped awake by a hand over her mouth.


	10. Red Right Hand

She was being dragged; back, back and into the darkness. A scream rose in her throat but was caught by a hand over her mouth. She clawed at the dirt, feeling the cold soil catch under her fingernails. Odette tried to regain her balance, but resorted to kicking and stomping her feet as loud as she could as he dragged her. She frantically swiveled her body, doing anything to dislodge her captor's grip, but it was fruitless. She was screaming internally, a high pitched squeal vibrating in her throat.

Just before her and her captor were about to disappear from the view of camp, she saw John shoot up from where he slept.

"STOP!" He roared, "LET HER GO!"

In a moment, the guards were all on their feet, pointing their guns in her direction.

Her captor had stopped dead in his tracks. He removed his had from her mouth only to clutch her throat instead. His grip was painfully strong, crushing her windpipe. She saw stars dancing before her eyes, exploding and falling.

It was then she felt the painful end of a knife poking into her belly, just enough to break the fragile skin.

"I SAID LET HER GO!" John yelled again, but she saw the horror in his eyes. Behind him, Sergeant Coal held his gun, ready to fire, but she saw fear there too. Both of them stood motionless, their stances rigid and alert.

That's when she realized: they didn't know how to hep her. To shoot him, was to shoot her. To kill him, was to kill her.

Her mind was racing, thoughts tumbling and twisting over themselves. She couldn't pull them apart.

Instead, she looked at John. She could see the angry burning behind his eyes, but the fear within them was unmistakable. She left her gaze there, and she let the peace overtake her.

It was like time stood still, all of them frozen in a moment.

 _Okay_ , she thought, taking advantage of the calm to rest her racing thoughts, _they can't help me. What can I do? I can't overpower him myself. Do I have a weapon?_

That's when she remembered the knife she had slide into her boot the day they left the City. She had placed in their in case close combat was called for (though that was more wishful thinking, as she wasn't exactly skilled in the art of knife fighting).

Without thinking, Odette kicked her foot up and reached into her boot, feeling the cold hilt with her fingers. The knife was in her hand in a heartbeat. She thrust the weapon behind her, just above her head, hoping the knife would it something important.

She felt the resistance of skin as the blade hit its mark.

The hand around her throat was gone in a moment and she fell forward onto her knees. She twisted immediately to look back at her captor. That was a mistake.

It was a savage from earlier today: not Broxen, it was the tall, lanky one that had stood next to him. His eyes were wide in shock; they starred out at nothing. The knife protruded from the side of his neck, and a soft river of red poured from the wound.

Odette let out a small whimper at the sight. The savage's knees buckled and he fell forward toward her, his head hitting her boot. The blood pooled under her feet.

She starred in horror, without realizing John had wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He was murmuring something in her ear but she couldn't hear it. The sounds were thick and sticky and she didn't recognize them as words. _No,_ she thought, _words are thin and sharp,_ _not foggy._ She looked up at him in confusion. His eyebrows were pulled together, concern etched in every crease of his face.

She tried to ask him what he said, but instead it came out, "I killed him."

She was cold, but she felt the warm swirl of vomit in her stomach. Her skin was hot and flushed, yet she felt goosebumps rising. She reached up to touch his face but stopped short when she saw it was covered in blood. At first she thought she was injured, but a split second she remembered it wasn't hers.

"Come on, let's clean you up," John whispered, the words making sense again, and he half carried, half dragged her to the stream a few feet from camp. She could hear Coal yelling at the men to be alert for more savages. He sounded so far away.

John knelt next to the stream, easing her to her knees. He took her hands gently, and lowered them into the water. Only one had blood on it, yet John scrubbed both. Odette watched as the stain evaporated from her fingers, getting lost in the swirl of the water. She knew the water was cold, but she couldn't feel it.

"Hey, hey," John whispered, as he dried her clean hands with his shirt, "can you hear me?"

She just looked at him. _Of course I can hear you, you idiot. But I don't think I want to. Not right now._

He let go of her hands and grabbed her face, leaning closer. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

"Odette. Hey, come back to me."

His eyes were so light. She hadn't noticed before. The forest was dark but his eyes were so very blindingly bright.

"Odette." He nearly yelled, it felt like a slap.

"Yes," she whispered, the word was small and quiet.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still holding her face, still staring at her with those blindly bright eyes.

"I..." she couldn't think anymore.

"Okay, okay," his voice was quiet. He took her elbow and steered her toward the nearest tree. He knelt down and she collapsed into him. He leaned back into the tree and wrapped his arm around her. She sat back into him. In the distance, she heard the guards cleaning up camp. Well, at least it sounded distant.

"Are you okay?" he asked again. It was easier to answer this time, since she couldn't see his face.

"I don't know." Only now did she realize she was shaking.

He sighed gently in her ear, "you were defending yourself, Odette. You had no choice."

She shook her head. "I killed him," she repeated. She needed to say it out loud to make it real. But it still wasn't real.

"You defended yourself. He was going to kill _you,_ " John reminded her, squeezing her closer, as if to remind her she was alive, sitting there with him.

Her mind was swimming, and she was just wading in the murky water. It was all a mess. But it was thick and smoky and she couldn't grasp anything: no thoughts, no feelings. Just this silent numbness.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. A tear ran down her face, but she couldn't remember where it came from.

"I'm a killer now." She said quietly: matter-of-factly. She couldn't remember where that came from either. "That's what you meant when you said this place changes you." The words were falling from her mouth before she could put them together in her mind.

"No, no. You were just defending yourself." He whispered harshly.

Her face was wet with tears she didn't remember crying. She opened her eyes and saw the sky above through the trees, specs of light pierced through the darkness.

"You aren't a killer," he said quietly, whispering into her ear again, "I am. You were just trying to save yourself."

She was still numb, so she didn't exactly understand what he meant. Now they were both killers, weren't they? It was the same. She turned her head, leaning her forehead against his jaw.

"You didn't have a choice," he said, "I did. I killed two of our own for trying to string me up for something I didn't do." His voice was hoarse and throaty. "And I tried to kill Bellamy, too. And shot Raven."

She didn't know who Bellamy or Raven were. Her head felt like it was full of cement. He killed some of his own? For vengeance?

"You wouldn't do that now," she murmured.

"No, but I did. I'm a killer, Odette. I killed, without mercy, because I was angry. Because of hate. You-" he trailed his finger along her arm, "you defended yourself. You are not a killer. Okay?"

He sounded so sure. As if he was telling her a fact.

"Okay," she said, because she was tired of talking. She was tired of fighting through the fog of thoughts. She couldn't catch one. They just slipped through her fingers and disappeared.

She reached her hand up to touch his face behind her head.

"You aren't a killer either, okay? Not anymore," she told him.

She couldn't see him, but she imagined he smirked.

"Okay," he said.


	11. Maybe This Weight is a Gift

The shock didn't ultimately begin to wear off until hours into their walk. The guards had hastily cleaned up camp, while others patrolled for any other savages. Coal had quickly order them to clear the area. Odette had sat with John until Coal barked at them to get a move on. As they began their walk, Coal had cursed at her, saying the savages wanted her because they thought she was an ambassador, because they thought she was important. But she couldn't listen. John blew up at the Sergeant for yelling, but she couldn't listen to that either. Eventually, everyone walked in silence.

John stayed close to Odette as they began their trek, keeping a hand on her back at first. After a while, when her mind became less foggy, she pulled away and walked in front of him. She needed to walk on her own; be on her own.

The guards around them walked with their guns drawn, alert and at the ready. The darkness was slowly giving in to the gentle blue of the early morning, but still Odette had difficulty gauging what time it was.

As they walked, her mind went through the same thoughts.

At first, she could only think of the man she had killed: who he had been? Did he have a family? Would he be missed? _Of course he would be missed, by someone._ She thought, _and I took him from them. Whoever he was._

For most of her life she hadn't really looked at savages as people, not like the people in the City. She was ashamed to admit it, but she thought of them more as second rate humans: not as intelligent, not as civilized. But seeing that man die, watching the blood gush from his neck, she realized, he was just as human as she. He had the same blood, the same muscles, the same feelings that she had. He must have felt fear, felt love, felt pain just as she did. She wondered if he felt much pain in that moment; if he was scared when he realized his life was pouring out of him. She wondered if he felt as cold as she did now.

Odette had never seen someone die. She had _known_ people who had passed, of course, but she had never seen the color leave someone's eyes as their heart beat one last time. She wonder what was his last thought, the one between his second to last and last heart beat. Did it linger in his mind like an imprint? Or did it just fade away into the darkness?

And then it would all come crashing down, the realization of what she'd done. Like a concrete block, solid and crushing: inescapable. It was a cycle. As they walked, she'd think of his life, her life, the pain, the fear, and then the blood on her hand. And then she'd forget how to breathe, scratch at her throat and John would be beside her in an instant. She could only imagine what he saw in her eyes. All she felt was fear; fear that this was her life, that she'd have to live with this everyday until her last. Fear that the blood stain was permanent.

But John would say some soothing words and grab her face and force her to look in his eyes until she could breathe again. It was like the blue in his eyes brought her breath back. It's like they brought her peace.

And then they'd begin walking again, and for a while, she could hold back the fear. For a while, she could bear it. But only for a while.

That night, John lay down next to her, without saying a word. She didn't expect to sleep, for fear of being awoken by a hand over her mouth again, but her mind was exhausted and before she knew it, the bright light of the morning was shining in her eyes.

The next few days and nights followed suite with the same cycle, the same dreamless sleep.

It wasn't until the fifth or sixth day that Odette was able to think of anything else. The panic had begun to subside and the cycle had broken. She remembered how to breathe.

But then, she also remembered what John had confessed to her that night. That he was a killer, too. That when he killed, it was not out of fear for his life, but out of vengeance: anger. He had ruthlessly killed two of his own people, the same people that they were crossing the forests to save, and tried to kill two more. She should be terrified of him. She should hate him.

But how could that be the same man that walked behind her now? The same man that retaught her how to breath? The same man that was willing to cross the Dead Zone and the forests to save the rest of his people? The same man that confessed his worsts sins to her, just to make her feel less pain?

She couldn't wrap her mind around how that John and this John were one in the same. At first, she assumed, he had just changed. So much more must have happened to him between then and now to make him into this new wounded, but caring man. But then she remembered the other sides of him, the sides she saw when he spoke to Jaha or, quite frankly, anyone that wasn't her. Even when they had first met he was cold and sarcastic, seemingly empathetic. Perhaps that was the real him? Maybe this caring side he showed her was just a facade to get what he wants. Maybe it wasn't the real him at all.

Maybe he hadn't changed. Maybe he still was that same man who killed out of vengeance and hate.

That thought frightened her most of all. She couldn't just let it go. She needed to know the truth.

That night, when they lay down to sleep, she leaned her head close to his, so no one would hear them.

"I need you to tell me why you did it," she said.

He knew exactly what she was talking about, she could see it in the stiffness of his shoulders. It was as if he'd be expecting this question for days.

He sat up next to her and looked down at the dagger in his hands.

"I did it," he began, in a hoarse whisper, "because these people, who I thought were my friends, put a rope around my neck and hung me up, no hesitation, for something I didn't do. Then they kicked the box out from underneath me." He said the last line through clenched teeth. Odette could hear the malice in his voice. "And after that, I just couldn't let it go. The betrayal. How quickly they would have offed me if they could. Then they banished me. Left me for the Grounders, who tortured me for three days. And those days, Odette, those days..." he trailed off, turning the dagger over in his hands.

She couldn't imagine how savages tortured their captives, luckily, she didn't have to.

"They beat me and stabbed me, peeled my skin, pulled off my nails, bent my limbs in ways they were never meant to go." He shook his head, "and that whole time, through all that pain, I could only blame them. I could only think, if they hadn't blamed me, if they hadn't betrayed me, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be feeling this."

He didn't look at her once, just at the dagger. He just kept turning it over and over and poking the sharp end as if to check if it'd make him bleed. It did.

"When I finally got back to camp, my hatred for them was not only because they strung me up, but because of all that pain. It was all mixed together." His voice slipped, just barely.

They were both quiet for a moment. She rolled over onto her back, next to him, staring up at the stars. It was so surreal to her that that's where he came from. This boy from the stars came down from the sky like something out a fairytale, but it was no fairytale. No, in fact, it was just the opposite.

"Do you regret it?" she asked, simply.

He shook his head and snorted to himself. Then he finally looked at her, that half smile on his face, "I wish I could say I do. But I don't know. The truth is I don't know, Odette. And I'm sorry."

She looked away, not knowing what to make of that. Why couldn't he have just said yes? All he had to do was say yes, I regret it, and she would have felt better.

But then, she realized, he had been honest with her. Completely honest, completely transparent. He told her exactly what he did and exactly how he felt about it. He didn't hide behind a lie to make himself sound better. He just told the truth.

Then he laid down again, their heads nearly touching as they looked up at the sky.

"Honestly, if I hadn't done it, they'd probably be dead already, anyway," he said.

She didn't respond, and he rolled over away from her.

"I don't expect you to trust me- not like you did," he said softly.

"I trust you," she said, finally, and it was true, perhaps it was out of her best interest, but she did still trust him. He'd never done anything to harm her, only protect her.

"Good," he said, "because I don't want to kill again. But I would kill anyone who hurt you."

She kept silent. They lay next to each other, an arms length away, yet part of her felt like it wasn't far enough. And the other part felt like it wasn't close enough.


	12. All Roads Lead Home

The closer they got to Camp Jaha, the more nervous and distant John became. Odette had lost track of the days they had been traveling. She knew it was well over a week but eventually she had stopped counting (for her own sanity). She had never spent so many days doing _nothing_. It was growing difficult to stay out of her own head; her mind would wander and always end up at the same place: the grounder in a halo of blood. And then a second image: her, or sometimes John, standing over his body.

She was grateful when John told Coal that they would reach camp within the day. But along with the relief came a flood of nerves. John had told her about life at Camp briefly, but she knew they weren't expecting them. Now they that were so close, she realized how desperately she feared their reaction. She had always thought it would be warm and welcoming, but knowing they hadn't sent John to the City, she was worried.

Once they were close, John stopped the group.

"I'll go first," he told them. "It's best if they know who is approaching. I don't know how trigger happy they are these days." His jaw was tight.

"Are you saying your people shoot at whatever moves?" Odette heard the edge in her voice, but was too full of nerves to hold back.

He avoided looking at her, and shrugged instead, "yup."

"Then we will wait here for your clearance," Coal agreed.

John glanced at her for a moment before he turned and disappeared into the trees.

xxx

It must have been an hour or more before he finally he returned, seeming no more relaxed than when he left. Nonetheless, he told them they could proceed. Odette walked next to him.

"Did you talk to them?" she asked, anxious to hear about his people.

"Not for very long," he stared at his feet as the trudged along.

"Well? Were they happy to see you? What did you tell them about us?"

"Happy is definitely not the word, more like surprised I am alive. Probably a little disappointed too."

Odette rolled her eyes, "what did you tell them?"

"Essentially, I told them enough to convince them not to shoot on sight," he said, still keeping his gaze forward. His shoulders were tense and his grip was tight on his gun.

He wasn't going to say anymore. She could tell he was on edge, so she didn't push it. Instead she fell instep beside him and anxiously awaited reaching Camp Jaha, trying to swallowing the fear that was churning in her stomach.

xxx

After twenty minutes of walking, Odette could see a clearing beyond the trees in front of them. That was it, she knew. They were finally here. Excitement took over, and she felt her steps coming quicker.

She was the first too break through the trees, and she saw Camp Jaha towering before her. She stopped short, nearly choking on a gasp.

It was like nothing she could have ever imagined. The space ship John had described went on forever; it was the largest thing she'd ever seen. Even the broken towers in the City couldn't be compared to its size. It rose above the camp, nearly blocking out the sun; a halo of steel.

The Camp sat at its feet: a bustling of people and tents encased in a makeshift fence.

She didn't notice John beside her.

"That's exactly how I felt when I found your City," he said, smirking, and he began making the trek up the hill and toward the gate.

The closer they got, the easier it was to see that they were expected. Many of the people had stopped what they were doing, and instead were watching them climb the hill. A group of guards stood at the threshold, guns at the ready. A good looking man stood in the center, arms crossed, with a woman beside him. She was small and petite, but somehow Odette could tell she demanded attention.

"John Murphy," the man said, he was almost smiling, "when they told me you were alive I almost didn't believe them."

"Kane," was all John said.

"And who are your guests? It would seem they are not Grounders."

"No. They are from the City of Light. And they -we- come in peace. They are only here to talk."

Odette watched as Kane looked to the woman beside him. She stepped forward.

"They are welcome to enter, but they must leave their weapons at the Gate," she said.

John looked back at Coal, who looked none to pleased with the command. "This is our Chancellor, Abby Griffin," he explained, "at least, she was when I left."

To her surprise, Coal looked to Odette, asking her opinion on the situation. Though, perhaps it wasn't so surprising he'd look to her, after all, she'd be higher in status than him soon. She shook the reminder from her head. For now, she was just an ambassador, a fake ambassador. She gave a small nod of approval.

The Sergeant slowly lowered his gun and let it settle in the grass. The guards followed suit.

"Well then," the Chancellor said, "if you'd follow us. Welcome to Camp Jaha."

xxx

Coal, Odette and John were led through the camp into the ship itself, into a dark room with a large steel table in the middle. The rest of the guards were showed to empty tents, where they could rest and replenish. They had been quite the spectacle; the entire camp had stopped to watch them pass by.

The three of them were joined by Kane, Abby and a younger handsome man, who was clearly troubled by their presence.

"Jaha isn't with you?" Kane was the first to speak once the doors were shut behind them.

John shook his head, "no, lucky for me he wasn't well enough to travel, so I came in his place. He's back at the City."

"Our doctors are looking after him," Odette chimed in, to excited to hold back. Everyone in the room was quite surprised by her outburst.

"Uh- this is Odette Hale. Ambassador Hale, I mean. And Sergeant Coal," John introduced them.

Kane nodded along, "I'm Marcus Kane, this is Chancellor Abigail Griffin and Bellamy Blake."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Odette said, the politeness that had been drilled into her as a child returning.

"And you," Kane said, awkwardly.

Bellamy continued to scowl. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Murphy shrugged, "it's a long story. Jaha wanted me to show him Wells grave and the next thing I knew we were searching for the fabled City of Light," John accompanied the last few words with a grand hand gesture. "Jaha lost it a bit at the end there, and we split up, but somehow, we actually found it. The City of Light is real. That's where they are from." John paused, then asked, "wait, where's Clarke? Shouldn't she be here?"

The group hesitated in answering.

"You've missed a lot," Kane began.

"I'll catch you up," Bellamy said, bitterly, "we had to kill the Mountain Men to get our people out. All of them. Clarke left after that."

"So the Mountain Men are dead?" Odette asked, sounding more excited than was probably appropriate.

The three others looked at her strangely, and Kane nodded, "yes. You're people know about them?"

She shook her head, "no. Well, if so, it's not common knowledge. I only know of them from John, but I suppose it's possible our Governor could know of them and not speak of it."

"A Governor, huh?" Bellamy said, "that's your leader? And he sent you?"

"Yes," Coal answered for her, which she was thankful for, "he sent us with an offer."

xxx

After Odette relayed the Governor's message to them, Kane and the Chancellor decided it had been a long day, and they'd reconvene tomorrow. They clearly were surprised by the offer, if not dazed. Perhaps they didn't believe them that the City existed, or the savages had put them off to the idea of a real civilization on the ground.

Bellamy walked them to their tents.

"A City of Light, huh? Do you have electricity?" he asked, seemingly less hostile than he was in the meeting.

"Yes," Odette said.

"Running water?"

"Yes," she said again.

"Sounds like paradise," he mumbled sarcastically, walking ahead of them. "I'm surprised you're alive, Murphy."

"Disappointed?" Murphy spoke from behind her. Odette was too busy looking around the camp to worry about the obvious tension between them.

"Only a little."

"So you massacred Mount WEather, huh?" Murphy said, "that's probably for the best."

Bellamy stopped in his tracks and turned around, anger burning behind his soft eyes.

"Your tents are over there," he growled, nodding towards the east side of camp, and strode away in the opposite direction.

Odette rolled her eyes, "good going."

"What? I was being sincere," John defended.

"I know you were," she said, flatly. "So that thing," she turned and looked up at the broken space ship that hung over their heads, "was your home?"

"Still is, I guess," he shrugged.

"It's hard to imagine... that was in the sky." She was being honest, she could hardly wrap her head around the idea. The boy that fell from the sky brought an entire space ship with him.

"And I used to think the Earth was hard to imagine."

She looked back at him. What a strange thing to say. She'd never thought about that. In space, he must have never felt the sun, or wind or air. _That_ was even harder to wrap her head around.

Clearly, he could see the confusion in her face. He chuckled, and grabbed her hand, "welcome to Camp Jaha, Ambassador. Now let's get to our tents."


	13. Devil's Side

Odette had not realized how much she missed an actual bed. Well, it wasn't what those from the City would consider a bed, but it'd do.

The night before, John had showed her to her tent. She'd be bunking with the two other females in their group, but that hardly bothered her. She was too tired to be bothered. She fell asleep moments after laying down, sleeping soundly throughout the night.

When she woke, she was starving. She found herself alone, and unsure what to do.

"You awake yet?" she heard John say from outside her tent.

Perfect timing.

"YES and I'm starving," she said, literally crawling out of bed.

"Here," John said, tossing clothes in her face through the tent flap, "some fresh clothes."

"Thanks," she mumbled, unfolding the black fabric. Black. Gray. Drab.

She emerged from the tent fully armed in Sky crew gear.

"Do you people know what colors are?" she joked, as John turned to greet her.

"We have a few other things to worry about than what we are wearing," John smirked.

"Clearly," she glanced down at the dusty black jacket, grey shirt and black jeans.

"C'mon, let's get some breakfast."

The pair walked side by side toward a makeshift, outdoor cafeteria and kitchen. All the while, Odette felt eyes on them. Some were innocent and curious, but most felt cold and judgmental.

She saw Bellamy sitting by a cookfire, a plate in his hands. He glanced up to catch her gaze, and she quickly looked away, feeling blood rush to her cheeks; she had never met someone with such an intense stare.

They joined the line for breakfast, surrounded by hungry eyes and hungry bellies.

"Well," Odette murmured to John, "everyone loves to stare, don't they?"

John smirked, "you are an outsider, and you're not a Grounder. Plus, everyone thought I was dead. Of course they are going to stare."

The pair got their food and sat on the outskirts of the group while they ate. They tried to keep conversation light, but it was difficult with all the eyes pressing on them.

"Murphy." Abby appeared in front of them, planting her feet in the grass and crossing her arms. "Kane wants to talk to you, about Jaha."

John rolled his head in annoyance. "Right now?" he asked, "I haven't even been back for 24 hours."

"Right now." Abby said, glancing at Odette as she turned and walked away.

"Well," John pretended to be chipper, "it looks like nothing's changed here." He stood and looked down at Odette, sitting cross legged on the grass with her plate in her lap. "I'm sorry to leave you alone here. Hopefully it won't take too long, but Kane likes to go on and on..."

Odette shook her fork at him, "no, no, don't worry about me. I'll find something to do. I'm sure Kane will want to talk to me next."

John nodded and sauntered off after Abby.

Odette took a few more bites of her breakfast before she was interrupted by a tall shadow standing over her.

"Can I talk to you?" Bellamy asked, towering over her with his hands on his hips. With the sun behind him, he looked like statue more than a man.

"Uh, sure," she hesitated for a moment before sliding her plate of her lap and standing to meet him. "What about?"

"Not here," was all he said before turning and heading toward the edge of camp. Begrudgingly, Odette followed.

After a few minutes of walking, Bellamy stopped a few feet before the west side fence. Not once had her turned to check if she was following.

A small creek ran just outside it, Odette felt giddy just to hear the bubbling sound so near. In the City, the rivers were mostly dried up. Wells were the prime source of water.

"Why are you really here?" Bellamy didn't waste any time. He stood firm and crossed his arms over his chest. A gun hung loosely off his hip.

"What?" Odette was taken-a-back, hadn't they explained everything? "I told you, we are here to offer-"

"No, the _real_ reason. You aren't an ambassador. Why would a fully functioning City have a young girl as it's ambassador?"

"Why would a crew from the sky put so much trust in a young man such as yourself?" She retorted, only slightly offended.

Bellamy raised an eyebrow. "It's different here. We've had to fight to survive. We aren't kids anymore. "

"I'm not a kid," Odette said flatly.

Bellamy took a long deep breath before exhaling quickly, as if trying to hold his composure. "Why are you here? You aren't an ambassador," he asked again.

"I'm the closest thing we have to one," Odette said without thinking. "Everything I said is true. We came here with an offer. And the offer stands." She turned on a heel and began walking away.

"The closest thing you have to one?" She heard Bellamy question, but she kept walking. "Hey- watch yourself around Murphy. The guy is bad news."

That made her stop. She spun around and came towards him again, "I know what he's done. He told me. And he's different... he saved my life." She didn't know exactly where the urge to defend him came from, but it surprised her with its force.

"You know what he's done? Kill our own? Nearly kill me? Nearly kill Raven? Betray us? That's who you are aligning yourself with. No one will respect you here, _ambassador_ ," he ended, smugly.

"When was the last time you've seen him? He's changed." She didn't know what else to say. She could see the pain in his eyes, the pain John caused. She hadn't be faced with it before, not like this. She hadn't seen the effects his choices had on others. She just saw him.

"Look, for your own good. Just don't get close to him," Bellamy sighed, giving up.

 _Too late_ , she thought.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," she said, nearly automatically. She felt the confession coming to her lips. Perhaps if she told Bellamy the truth, he could convince the others she was trustworthy? Perhaps he could sway them to agree to come to the City. John would find out her secret eventually, she couldn't keep it hidden forever. She just wanted to be the one to tell him... when the time was right.

"You're right. I'm not the ambassador. I'm the future Governess. I've been betrothed to our Governor since we were young," she took one step closer to him, "so, you see, I'm much more powerful than any ambassador would be."

Bellamy was clearly shocked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked.

Odette sighed, "John doesn't know. I'm not ready to tell him, not yet. Please, just... just keep this between us." She hoped the plea didn't sound as pathetic as it felt.

Bellamy nodded, "Sure thing, Governess."


	14. Fire and the Flood

"I'm acting as an Ambassador here, not as Governess... I'm not the Governess yet, anyway. "I hoped you're people would listen to me, as an Ambassador, instead of as an eventual Governess-through-marriage." Odette tried her best to explain her reason not telling them the truth: that'd she'd eventually marry Isaac and become Governess, ruling the City of Light as an equal to him, but Bellamy couldn't know that she and snuck into this expedition; it'd ruin their credibility.

Bellamy was looking at her as if he was almost amused, "Sure. Makes sense, I suppose." He glanced down at his boots as he adjusted his weight. "But I can already tell you what's going to happen. We aren't going to just agree to join you until we've been to your City." He sounded slightly hesitant to call it a 'city'.

"I understand," Odette agreed. "We will be glad to bring you there. You can meet our Governor, see our City..." she trailed off as a distant screeching sound filled their ears.

Bellamy knotted his eyebrows together in confusion. The screeching grew louder, coming closer, accompanied by a low growl.

It was coming from the sky.

Odette and Bellamy tilted their heads, searching for the source.

They both saw it at the same time, tearing across the sky toward Camp Jaha, cutting the cloudless blue in half with a trail of white smoke.

"Is that-" Odette began.

"A plane." Bellamy answered, astounded.

It moved faster than anything Odette had ever seen, and before she could comprehend what was happening, it was above them.

Then the bombs went off. Three huge explosions, consecutively, dropped from the plane.

Right onto the heart of Camp.

The ground rumbled beneath them as tents went up in flames before their eyes. The plane was already gone, and it was silent, except for the screams.

Bellamy and Odette broke into a sprint at the same time towards the fire. With every step, Odette could only think of John.

She trailed Bellamy, her heart racing, until they reached the first row of tents, but she didn't care where he was going. She needed to find John, she needed to know that he was alright.

It was a disaster; between the smoke, the flames, and the people, she didn't even know where to look first. The screams were a never ending presence in her ears as she tried to determine where she was in relation to his tent, but the chaos was too much.

The first body she came across was the worst, mangled and charred to the point of nonrecognition. She could only stare in horror. She looked up and let her eyes take in the scene.

The air was a haze of black, thick smoke. It was choking. Flames danced from atop tents as sky people ran with pales of water from the creek, trying to save what the could. But the bodies, they were the worst. Many were moving or moaning, being cared for by others, but some lay still and alone. She knew what that meant.

She continued through rows of tents, feeling weightless. The moment was so surreal she felt as if her body was on autopilot, moving forward without her control.

As she looked at each injured person clinging onto their friends who helped them, she felt helpless. What could she do? How could she help these poor people? She didn't even know where the infirmary here was, or the creek, or anything, really.

Odette coughed through the smoke, and began to yell.

"JOHN!" She called, nearly stumbling forward now. She looked up at the halo of metal that was the Ark and tried to gauge where her tent was. She wasn't far.

After minutes of trudging through smoke, calling his name, she saw him.

It felt like a punch in the gut.

He lay alone, not far from the Ark entrance. He wasn't moving.

She tore across the grass, her lungs on fire, before she slid to her knees beside him. His face was covered in ash and bits of his jacket had been charred enough to reveal his shirt underneath. Dry blood trickled from his nose. She felt for a pulse on his neck, it beat softly underneath.

"John." She breathed. His eyes were close and he lay limp. She took his head in her hands and brought her knees under it. " John," she said louder, her vision blurring with hot tears. She shook his head gently, trying to wake him, angry he wasn't listening to her. "John," she said again, louder, desperately, "wake _up_ , you bastard."

But he didn't move.

She turned, looking around, "HELP!" she yelled, but it came out as a sob. She tried again, louder this time, but it sounded like a shriek.

She saw Bellamy then, his tall frame was easy to see. He was helping to put out the large fire that had overtaken numerous tents. She yelled his name, but he couldn't hear her, not over the fire and screams.

She didn't want to leave John, but she knew she wasn't helping him by staying with him.

"I'll be right back, okay?" She said quietly as she lay his head on the ground. She stood and tore off down the path towards Bellamy.

She crashed into him, lightheaded from the smoke. "Bellamy," she exhaled. He caught her by the arms, squeezing her to keep her upright. It was the only thing keeping her together in that moment.

"What is it?" He asked, urgently.

"John," she choked out, "help me get him to the infirmary. He's hurt. He won't wake up."

Bellamy glanced over his shoulder back towards the fire, then back to her. For a moment she thought he was going to say no, to leave her to her own devices. But instead, he pursed his lips and nodded.

"Jasper!" He called over her head to a lanky boy with a shaved head, "come here."

She lead the boys back to where John lay and together the three of them dragged him to help.

xxx

They wouldn't let Odette into the infirmary. It was too crowded and chaotic for anyone but the injured and the doctors. So Bellamy dragged her away, to help with the fires.

After hours of filling buckets and buckets of water, night had fallen. Odette's arms ached and her hands were full of fresh blisters, long popped and bloody. But no one had stopped, and so neither would she.

She had seen Sargent Coal and a few of the other guards helping as well. Sargent Coal had pulled her aside to give her an anger lecture about safety and "reporting" to him. Apparently he was very worried about being responsible for losing the Governor's betrothed.

The moon was high in the sky before the camp was silent again. The flames and been put out, the injured tended to, and the bodies lined up. In the end, sixteen had been killed, including two children.

Anxious parents and families waited outside the large infirmary; it had been expanded with makeshift tents to make room for all the injured. They were finally beginning to let visitors in.

Odette sat alone, fighting sleep, waiting for her turn to see John. He had been in the back of her head the entire time she worked. Along with all the questions: Who would do this? HOW could they do this? Who had a plane? And bombs? Not the savages surely. And not the City. The Mountain Men were gone... was there another advanced civilization out there that they didn't know about?

Seeing Abby exit the tent brought her out of her thoughts.

"Abby!" Odette called, jogging over to her. She must have been exhausted, but she wouldn't show it.

"Ah, Ambassador," she said, awkwardly, wiping her bloody hands with a rag.

"Is John alright? I haven't heard anything?" Odette asked anxiously.

"Murphy? He'll survive, yes. He has a lot of internal injuries, but he is stable."

Odette exhaled heavily, realizing she had, quiet literally, been holding her breath.

"Thank you, Abby. Can I see him?" she asked quietly.

Abby hesitated before nodding toward the tent entrance.

"To the right. If Jackson tries to stop you, tell him I said it was okay."

Odette smiled widely. "Thank you," she said, before nearly skipping into the infirmary.

xxx

She found John alone. He lay on a makeshift cot in his own small corner of the infirmary. A flap had been dropped down to give him some privacy. She pulled it shut behind her.

His eyes were open when she turned back around, and he starred at her.

"Oh, thank god," she mumbled, before stumbling to his side. She threw her arms around his neck without thinking.

"ah-ah-" he sputtered in pain. Odette withdrew her arms immediately, but stayed just close.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I wasn't thinking! I'm just so happy to see you awake."

John smirked, "Going to nurse me back to health again? Why is it I'm the one that keeps ending up in these situations..."

Odette shot him a look. She wasn't in the mood for joking.

His smile fell. "I'm sorry if I scared you," he said quietly.

"I thought you were dead, you know." She felt tears threatening, "When I saw you laying there, alone, so still..." Her voice was shaking.

"Hey," he said, lifting a hand to her cheek, wiping away a tear she didn't know had fallen. "I'm here, I'm alive. I always survive." And he winked.

She gave a soft, half-hearted smile. Letting exhaustion sweep over her, she let her forehead lean against his and she closed her eyes. His hand drifted into her hair where it stay, tangled in the tresses.

She had never felt more at peace than in that moment, when the boy who fell from the sky held her face and wiped her tears away.


	15. In our Bedroom After the War

The next morning, Odette awoke on the floor next to John's cot. For a moment she didn't remember where she was, she'd woken up in so many different places the past week.

John watched as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Morning, sunshine," he cooed sarcastically.

"I hate mornings," she said flatly. She much preferred the night.

He chuckled softly as she stood. His shirt was off and a large, bloody bandage was coiled around his stomach.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, the scene was all too familiar. She felt as if she was back in her flat, tending to John after she found him scratching at her door.

He shrugged, "everything aches a bit, but that's something I've gotten use to."

She grimaced slightly, remembering how much physical trauma he'd already endured since he'd come to Earth.

Slowly, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed facing her. She took a step forward to catch him in case he fell, but he stayed there, half sitting, half standing, feet barley touching the floor.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking another step forward.

He just nodded, "deja vu, huh?" he smirked.

"Maybe if you'd stop nearly dying." She crossed her arms.

"Easier said than done apparently."

She glance down at the bandaged wrapped around his stomach.

'Are the stitches I gave you healed?" She stepped forward again, close enough to adjust the bandages. Gingerly, she lifted the bottom wrap to inspect the wound. She'd done this so many times before in the City, John didn't seem to mind. He glanced down as well. The would had clearly reopened; the skin was red and angry. There were fresh stitches in place. They looked much better than hers had.

Gently, she lay the bandages back in place. John didn't wince, instead he studied her face. She couldn't help but blush; she was practically between his legs.

"Why do you care so much?" he asked. Perhaps if someone else had asked her that, she'd be offended. But not with him. There was a certain honesty in his voice. The way he asked her... it was not at attack; it was a plea. He _needed_ to know. He _needed_ to understand.

He'd been alone too long.

Odetted sucked in a breath. How do you answer that? How do you put this feeling into words?

You don't.

In a moment, his lips were pressing onto hers. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but in that silence, he had seemed to understand her. She let her arms wander up his chest, around his neck, as she felt the pressure of his palms against her waist. She pressed herself against him, feeling a hunger she'd never quite felt before; it was greedy and wanting, yet blurry and soft.

The world was still around them, the sounds of the infirmary fading away into nothingness. They were all that was.

He took her face between his hands and pulled away. She searched his eyes, in a moment of shock. The tenderness behind them... she had never seen him look like that before. He was vulnerable, he was open. His walls were gone.

He lay his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

"Please stop almost dying," she whispered.

His smile was wide, "will do."

xxx

"It couldn't have come from Mount Weather. We would have known," Kane said. He stood firm, his arms crossed over his chest.

An emergency meeting had been called. Kane, Abby, Bellamy, Coal, Odette and Murphy were present, along with Octavia, Lincoln, Raven and Monty. Murphy wasn't exactly sure what Kane expected them to know about the plane.

Lincoln spoke next, "I told you before, it wasn't any of the tribes. None of them have technology like that. None of them would even _touch_ technology like that."

"It didn't come from Mount Weather, and it didn't come from the Grounders. Then who?" Kane said.

Collectively, the group looked to Odette. Murphy saw the understanding in her eyes.

"What- no. The City does not have _planes,"_ she stressed, "I would know. We don't have bombs. We don't have planes. We don't need defense weapons like that, we have the Dead Zone."

"Why would the City attack Camp Jaha when they want us to join them. Or when their Ambassador is here? That's a bit risky, isn't it?" Murphy explained. He knew it hadn't been the City; that didn't make sense. Why would they send him all the way here just to bomb them?

"Arkadia," Kane correct, "we are changing the name to Arkadia."

Murphy couldn't argue with that.

Then Abby turned to Odette, "are there any other civilizations you're aware of that would have this kind of technology?" She asked her.

Odette shook her head, her brown hair dancing around her shoulders, "No, not at all. I've never seen a plane. I've never heard of any society being anywhere near as technologically advanced as the City."

"The Mountain was," Bellamy reminded. Murphy hadn't been here for the massacre of the Mountain but Monty had filled him in: how the mountain men were using the blood and bone marrow, Clarke and Bellamy pulling the lever, Jasper's girlfriend croaking.

"Well, they are all dead, aren't they?" Murphy pointed out, "we have control of it now. Unless we have a traitor, it didn't come from the Mountain."

"This City of Light sounds like the only place capable of it," Raven said. She wouldn't look at Murphy. He didn't blame her.

"It wasn't the City," Odette said, again, more forcefully this time. Murphy took one step closer to her, to show his solidarity.

"And maybe they sent you here because that's what they want us to think. It doesn't look like any of your people were injured," Octavia fired back.

There a disturbance was heard in the hallway, causing everyone to fall silent. The guards blocking the door were clearly arguing with someone. A moment later the door burst open.

"-out of my way," a redheaded woman said as she step into the chamber. She was dressed like a Grounder, with long red hair.

The woman took too large steps toward the table before looking up, finally revealing her face.

Clarke.

"Mom." Clarke breathed, lunging toward Abby, hugging her tightly. Odette shot Murphy a confused look, but he only took the moment of distraction to steal a squeeze of her hand in reassurance.

"I saw the bombs," she rambled as she pulled away from her mom, "is everyone okay?" Her eyes tore around the room and locked onto Bellamy, who just starred at her, jaw shut tight.

"Sixteen dead," Abby confirmed. "We don't know who did it, or why. That's what we are trying to determine."

Clarke blinked away from Bellamy and her eyes landed on Murphy and Odette.

"Murphy? You're alive?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"You too, princess?" he said.

"And who is this?" she nodded to Odette.

"Ambassador Hale. It's a bit of a long story." Murphy shrugged, he wasn't about to explain everything to Clarke right then and there, he knew she'd have opinions. A lot of them.

"Look." Kane said, apparently unfazed by Clarke's abrupt arrival. "We are sitting ducks here, and we have no leads as to who did this, or if they will again." He looked to Bellamy, "we are going to the City of Light. The people in this room." Then he looked to Abby standing beside him. "You are chancellor," he said, his voice low and gentle, "we need you here. We need you to lead."

Abby didn't argue. She nodded.

Kane turned back to the group. "The best thing we can do for our people is determine if we can leave Arkadia and join the City. If not, the City will have answers, because we have none here."

Murphy agreed. Traveling to the City was the only move they had. He turned to Odette, studying her features. She was wasn't happy with this decision, she was troubled. He could see it in the way her eyebrows knotted together. She glanced back to him, and the hardness in her face all melted away.

As long as they were together, they would survive. He knew it. He felt it in a way he'd never felt anything before. He'd been alone for so long he had forgotten what it was like to have faith in someone; to know they would stay by your side.

He knew he would stay by hers.

"Get packed," Kane said. "We leave tomorrow."


	16. The Queen's Approach

[[ _Hi guys! Please excuse any typos in the recent chapters, I've been writing rather quickly! Also, any commentary is greatly appreciated!_ ]]

Odette knew John was not physically ready to venture back across the rough terrain to the City. Half of her wanted to shush him and tell him to rest in Arkadia until he healed, but the other half selfishly couldn't imagine leaving without him. They were in this together now, too entwined in each other and the situation to break apart.

The thought of leaving him here filled her with dread, but the thought of returning to the City... to her future, to the truth, was just as unimaginable. How could she tell him of her betrothal now without feeling him leaving betrayed?

In truth, she never intended to marry Isaac. Though she had been trained in politics and leadership, she always knew she would never become Governess. It wasn't that she didn't want to rule; in fact, she thought she wouldn't be half bad, but she didn't love Isaac. She refused to marry someone out of duty instead of love. After all, she'd had a lifetime of watching her parents to remind her what it does to a family, what it does to a person.

Perhaps her parents wouldn't have been so cold and controlling if they hadn't been forced into marriage, perhaps they would be happy and fulfilled, with some other spouse, some other kid. But instead they were trapped in their lives; trapped in a marriage they hated and with a child they only saw as a pawn in the game of power.

She refused to be trapped. She would _never_ agree to an arranged marriage, even if it meant giving up the position of Governess.

But how could she tell John all this? Once they got back to the City, she would have to. It wouldn't stay hidden much longer once they returned.

The thought left her cold, even as they trudged through the forest in full gear.

"You okay?" John asked. He was walking beside her, though he'd be silent for most of their journey. Everyone had.

"Hmm? Yeah," she said. What else was there to say?

He cocked his head to the side as if he didn't believe her. She let her knuckles brush against his to reassure him.

They were in the middle of the group, a head of Monty, Clarke, Bellamy and a few guards. Coal led them, followed by more guards, Kane, Octavia, Lincoln and Jasper. Odette thought it quite an odd group. John had given her a short run down of each of them before they had left Arkadia. She was especially surprised to hear about how Lincoln, a savage, came to be with them. He _stressed_ she avoid that word and stick with Grounder.

She watched Lincoln and Octavia walking a few feet from each other, always in each other's eye line. Perhaps it wasn't such a wild idea for two people, one from the sky and one from the ground, to be together.

xxx

As they traveled, Odette slowly began to learn a bit about each of member of the group:

Octavia did not need your help, nor should you cross her. Lincoln, though a savage, was surprisingly, well, _normal_. And a little scary. Monty was kind and clever. Jasper was... sad. Clarke was... complicated. She'd been mostly quiet on their trip, but John suggested it was because of the massacre, not because it was her usual nature. Bellamy had been all soldier.

They had all changed, John explained. He hadn't been present for the Mountain Men's terror, but it seemed to leave them all with unbearable scars.

She admired Kane as a leader, though. He was charismatic and smart. Him and Coal did not get along.

Most of the group ignored her and John, except Monty. He would occasionally ask her about the City while they stopped to eat or set up camp. Jasper would often wander alone, then. Bellamy would bark out orders and Clarke would glare at him, as if she had something to say but couldn't. Octavia and Lincoln mostly kept to themselves, unless they had an opinion on a different route to take.

The traveling was slow going, and every odd sound in the forest made Odette jump. The nights were the worst; she would lay next to John, like when they were heading to Arkadia, and do her best not to remember the Grounders and the one she killed. But in the deafening silence, the thoughts crept in, keeping her from sleep. In the dark, the boy from the sky would hold her hand and she'd look up at the stars where he came from and wonder how it was ever possible that these people who surrounded her now had ever come to be.

The Grounders did not bother them on their return trip. Coal's explanation was the bombs; they had simply been frightened into hiding. But Lincoln laughed at that. John pleasantly suggested the Grounder's weren't threatened by the alliance anymore, because we are all going to be bombed to hell anyway.

When they reached the Dead Zone, Odette's stomach was in knots. She had absolutely no idea what would happen once they were behind City walls. Isaac would be _furious_ with her for leaving, and there was always the slight problem of her not actually being Ambassador.

Then there was also her engagement.

She had convinced herself she would tell him as soon as they entered the City, before they went to Isaac. She couldn't do it here, in the forest, not with all these foreign people around. Selfishly, she couldn't bear the thought of him ignoring her, not when she was all she had. In the City, everyone would be too distracted by the sky people to notice any tension between her and John.

The Dead Zone was tough on all of them. An apt name, Jasper had remarked. Luckily, they encountered no sandstorms, and Odette thought it a much easier journey this time around. Perhaps it was because her mind was elsewhere.

When the City wall's came into view, Odette felt like a puddle. Every nerve in her body was on edge.

The City Guard welcomed them in, lining the way as the party entered the City.

Odette was too preoccupied with glares from the Guards to notice the sky people's reaction to the City of Light. Instead, she was focused on Coal. He instantly jetted toward his 2nd in command, whispering something to him. Two two exchanged words before, the man turned to the guard behind him, who was off in a moment, headed toward the Govenor's estate, Odette had no doubt.

Coal was at her side in a moment.

"You're absence has not gone unnoticed," he said under his breath, "you are to report to the Governor immediately."

"Of course," she said, feeling a fine sweat break out on her forehead. She turned to John.

"I'm going to talk to Isaac before he meets with you all," she explained "I'll see you at the estate, okay?" she hoped he heard the softness in her voice.

 _I'm not leaving you_ , she thought, hoping he could somehow read her mind.

He nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah," he said, glancing back at the group in disappointment, "just leave me with them. That'll be fun."

She gave him a disapproving smile, "play nice. I'll see you soon."

She desperately wanted to kiss him, but settled with a squeeze of his hand.

xxx

"You're alive."

Isaac stood in front of his desk with a frown, arms crossed. He was dressed in a crisp white suit, a far cry from what the sky people wore.

"Surprised?" she mused, trying to keep cool, while the guards that had escorted her exited the room, leaving them alone.

"Slightly," he said, flatly.

She could feel his anger in the room, simmering.

"I don't even know where to _begin._ " He kept his voice level, but she knew it was just the politician in him trying to keep face.

"I know, _I know,_ " she said. "I just _had_ to go. I needed to see the world, Isaac. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you'd never, ever let me go."

"And you're exactly right," his voice rising ever so slightly, "you could have been killed."

She sighed loudly, "I had Coal and the Guards, I was as safe as I was ever going to be. And don't blame him," she added, "he had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, we aren't blaming him." Isaac shook his head. Not a single blonde hair was out of place.

"We?" Odette asked, confused.

He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, "your parents, Odette. They know."

The words felt like ice on her spine.

"And they have called for John Murphy's arrest for your abduction."


	17. If You Leave Me Now

"What? No!" Odette spit out, simmering with anger and fear, "he had nothing to do with it. It was all me."

She felt bile creeping up her throat, hot and toxic. She had not anticipated this. Panic set in.

"I figured this was your decision, but your parents do not see it that way." He acted as if this was simply a minor setback.

She swallowed her emotions and went for the logical approach.

"So your plan to start an alliance with the Sky People is to arrest one of their own as soon as they get here?" She folded her arms across her chest.

"No, not quite yet," he explained. "You're right, arresting him now would not go over well. You'll have to explain to your parents, and me, later, as to why, and how, you left. But, as of right now, he will not be charged with anything."

Odette let out a sigh of relief, though the thought of explaining this to her parents, especially after they didn't get their way with John, felt like a brick in her stomach.

"That was quite stupid of you, you know." He had switched from Governor to Isaac.

She didn't feel like arguing. "I know," she said, "but that's not important right now. What's important is the sky people are here, expecting to talk to you."

He nodded, "anything I should know before this meeting?"

"Well," she began, taking another step into the room, "Kane is their leader, at least, acting leader. They thinik I'm an Ambassador, so we will have to run with that for now, and they just were bombed and they don't know who did it or why."

" _What?_ " Isaac pushed himself off his desk. "Bombed?"

"Yes. There was a plane. A real, functioning, flying plane, and it dropped three bombs on Arkadia. Then it was gone."

Isaac was clearly troubled by this news. He rubbed his hand over his mouth anxiously and retreated to look out the large window behind his desk.

"And they have no idea who did this? Or why?" he asked, back turned to her.

"No. There's no one with those capabilities," she said, then added, "Right?"

Isaac didn't answer right away.

"Isaac," she said forcefully, angry he wouldn't face her and anxious from his silence.

"No," he said, "there's not."

She didn't believe him. He was only telling her what she wanted to hear.

"Do we?" she asked.

He sighed loudly, then turned to face her.

"Theoretically."

"That's not a good enough answer," she said, shaking her head.

"Odette, you aren't the Governess yet, you know I can't discuss our defenses with you." There was a slight pleading in his voice.

"Isaac, did we do this?" her voice was low and serious. She didn't care about his damn politics right now. She cared about the truth. She cared about justice for the sixteen that lay dead back in Arkadia.

"No," he said loudly, clearly angered by her question, "And why would we?" He stepped forward, close enough to reach out and touch her. "We are trying to create an alliance with them. Why would we harm them. Or you, for that matter. You were there. If I wanted to harm them, why would I risk you?"

He wasn't lying. She could see it in his eyes.

"So who did, if we are the only ones who are capable of it?" she asked in nearly a whisper.

He shook his head solemnly, "that's the question that worries me."

"Are you saying there could be another-" Odette was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Enter," Isaac instructed, taking a step back from her.

A footman opened the door.

"Sir, you have guests. Sergeant Coal has brought the Sky People."

"We will be right with them, please see them to the Hall," Isaac said, nodding, before the doorman shut the door.

"We will finish this later," Odette warned. She wasn't done yet.

"I don't see what there is left to finish," he growled, walking past her into the Hall.

xxx

Odette followed Isaac into the room. The door from his office lead directly to the Hall, where his seat waited. It was more of a Throne Room than a Hall. His seat was elevated, perched atop a platform. Two staircases led down to where the Sky People waited. Odette felt awkward standing so high above them, next to Isaac, as if they were on two sides of a war and she had chosen him.

The Sky People looked up at them and Odette caught John's eye. She smiled at him.

He smirked back.

"Welcome!" Isaac greeted warmly, opening his arms wide, "to the City of Light."

"Thank you," Kane spoke for the group. He stood in the center of them, suddenly appearing much older than she thought him before.

"I'm the Govenor, Isaac Hailsham, and this is my estate. I've made arrangements for you to stay here. You must be tired, after your journey."

"That is kind of you," Kane spoke again. He seemed quite suspicious of Isaac. _They've been through so much since they've arrived on the ground, it must take a lot for them to trust any outsiders_ , Odette thought. She still had the feeling none of them fully trusted her.

Except John.

"Please, make yourselves at home here. The City is yours to explore," Isaac said. He was a good politician; when he spoke he commanded the room, but it still felt wrong to stand so high above the Sky People, even if they were only guests here. For now.

"And of course, my fiancé told me of all the bombing. We express our deepest condolences." Isaac practically bowed.

Odette's head snapped up at the word 'fiancé' and she looked to Isaac in panic.

 _No, no, no,_ she thought _, not like this, anyway but this._ Isaac never called her that in public.

"Thank you." Kane crossed his arms, "you're fiancé?"

"Oh, Ambassador Hale, here." Isaac gestured to Odette. "She will be Governess after we are married, so, naturally, I trusted her to deliver my message to you."

She was watching John. It felt like all of the air had been sucked from the room. She was aware of nothing else but the two of them and her own heartbeat, hammering in its ribbed cage.

He was looking at the floor, hiding his face from her. But she could see the stiffness in his shoulders, the stillness in his body.

In the distance, she could hear the soft, blurry words of the conversation between Kane and Isaac continuing, but she couldn't make sense of it. Suddenly, she felt as if she'd jumped into a ice cold river, yet her skin was on fire. Her jaw was so tight she thought her teeth might crack from the pressure. Her stomach was tossed cement.

 _Look up,_ she thought.

And then he did, directly into her eyes.

She saw it all: the pain, the hurt the anger.

That's what took over, the anger. He starred up at her for a minute more, ignoring the pleading in her eyes, before turning and exiting the Hall. No one seemed to notice; they were intently listening to Kane going on about future living quarters.

Odette waited a few minutes, summing up the courage not to cry, before sneaking away from Isaac's side and out of the Hall.

She hurried down the corridor towards the entrance, ignoring all the strange looks from maids and footmen thrown her way.

John didn't know the City like she did, but she could only guess where he was going.

When she exited the estate, she was instantly drenched in rain, though that hadn't stopped any of the merchants from abandoning their stalls.

Scanning the crowd for John, she tore off down the nearest street, heading towards the Barracks. Shoppers flooded the streets in an effort to get home and escape the rain. They pushed past her as she hurtled forward, slipping her way between bodies. No one noticed a wet, sad girl, dancing between them. No one saw the desperation in her eyes or the ache in her heart.

Then she saw him, ten feet in front of her, back turned, wet hair, knocking people out of the way on a blind rampage toward the Barracks.

The only place he knew that wasn't her apartment.

"John!" she yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the people and the rain.

She ran forward, a few feet from him now, pushing her way through people.

"JOHN!" she yelled again. He had to have heard her.

He didn't turn. She reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him back with all she had left.

He spun around, wet hair sticking to his forehead. In his eyes was a storm.

"John," she breathed, suddenly unsure of what to say. The rain continued to fall around them, people continued to push past them, but she felt as if time had stopped.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he yelled over the chaos around them.

"I..." The words seemed to be stuck in her throat, "I couldn't."

He almost laughed at that. "You couldn't tell me? We had _weeks_ together."

"It wasn't important at first... and by the time it was..." she trailed off, hoping he could hear her over the rain.

"By the time it was, you decided to lie." He finished for her.

The pain behind his eyes made her knees weak and her heart break.

"I never lied to you John, I wouldn't," she pleaded.

He snorted, "a lie by omission, then." He shook his head, as if in disbelief. "You lead me to believe... I actually thought I..." he couldn't find the words. Or didn't want to, Odette didn't know. He tilted his head back to the sky frustration and ran both hands through his hair.

"John, please, I'm sorry. I was going to tell you... I'm not going to marry him. I have _never_ intended to marry him."

"Stop. Just-" he exhaled heavily and met her gaze again. "Stop."

The heartbreak behind his eyes was gone, given way to something else... anger.

"Go back to where you belong," he growled, nodding toward the Governor's estate.

"John," she nearly sobbed as he turned away from her.

"Don't follow me, Odette," he said over his shoulder.

And then he was gone.

She stood there for a long time, watching where he'd disappeared into the mass of people. Her cheeks were wet, with rain or tears, she didn't know. She couldn't bring herself to leave. She couldn't bring herself to go back to the Estate, or her apartment, or _anywhere_ , without him.

The boy who fell from the sky: she'd lost him.


	18. Poison and Wine

When she finally arrived back at Isaac's estate, the Sky People had already retired to their respective rooms. Isaac found her sipping whisky in the front parlor and shooed her into his office. She would not have obliged him had she known what awaited her inside.

"Mom. Dad." She didn't try to hide her lack of excitement. She didn't often see her parents anymore, only at dinner parties or some lavish event. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been alone with them. Probably the day she moved out.

"Odette," her mother cooed, her voice like velvet. Helena was a tall woman, with long dark hair, not unlike her daughter. She wore it pulled back into a severe pun. She wore a crisp white dress that hung to her knees, making her dark eyes look nearly black. As much as her mother tried to hide her wrinkles, Odette could see the angry lines setting in between her brow. Years of scowling will do that to you.

Her father, Cal Hale, was the more silent of the two. When he spoke, you listened. He didn't waste his breath on things that he deemed unimportant, literally. He stood behind Odette's mother, near the fireplace. In the low light, he looked like an echo of a once younger man. But now, his hair had greyed and his skin had slackened, yet he still looked as regal as ever: suit on, whisky in hand.

"We are glad to see you back safe and sound," he said, facing her.

"I apologize if I caused you any concern." Odette began, feeling like she was tiptoeing through broken glass. One wrong word and her freedom was gone.

"How idiotic of you," her mother stepped closer, "I thought we raised you better than this? Blackmailing a guard? Running off with some savage you just met, impersonating an Ambassador? Think of the damage you could have done. You could have _died_."

 _And then you wouldn't have a Governess for a daughter,_ Odette thought, bitterly. So her parents didn't actually believe John kidnapped her, that was a good start. She knew this wasn't going to be a tearful reunion. Not happy tears, anyway.

Her mother continued to chastise her as if she was a child. Odette stood silently, taking it. It was a scene they'd played over and over.

Eventually, Helena ended her rant and the room was silent again, save for the soft crackling of the hearth.

"I apologize for any trouble I've caused you," she answered with her usual, generic remark, "I realize now it was a bit reckless."

"A bit?" Her mother's voice was shrill with anger.

"Odette." Her father said quiet, stepping towards his daughter, "you're mother and I realize you are an adult and we can't punish you, but we have decided it's time for you and Isaac to be wed. There's no need to put it off any longer, and after this... little adventure, it would seem you'd be better suited putting that energy to work, as Governess."

"You mean it'd be better for me to live here, where I can be controlled." She nearly stomped her foot, boiling with rage. As a child, a line like that would get her a smack on the hand, but her father was right, they couldn't punish her, only force her into this marriage. She had nothing left to lose.

They ignored her.

"And that boy who tricked you into leaving, he must be punished." Her mother crossed her arms.

"No! He had nothing to do with it. I made the decision on my own." The thought of John being locked up again felt like a brick in her stomach. "I left because I didn't want to live and die behind the same walls of the City when there is a whole _world_ out there." Part of her wondered why she was bothering to explain herself to them. They'd never understand.

"You have no reason to concern yourself with that," her father said, "your concern should be with the City and only the City."

There was a soft knock at the door and Isaac entered.

She jumped on him instantly, hoping he'd be on her side, a weapon in her arsenal.

"Have you talked to them? Do you know what they're asking?"

This was five years too soon. Isaac and her had agreed to wait until she was 25. Odette had figured that was plenty of time to find a way out of it. Or change her mind. It wasn't that she didn't want to be Governess, part of her did: part of her thought she'd be good at it. But she couldn't forget all she'd be giving up: freedom, love, a different life away from the City. This wasn't a decision she could take back. This was for life.

"I have," he said, "And I don't disagree." He slid his hands into his pockets sheepishly, "I'm ready if you are."

"But I'm not." She said, it was true. John or no John, she wasn't ready. She couldn't make this decision, not yet. "We said when I was 25."

"And what are you going to do for the next five years? Sew in that little apartment of yours?" Her mother asked.

"I'll prepare." Odette reasoned, "I'll work more closely with Isaac and his advisors instead of sewing. I'll move here if I have to. I'll work towards being ready." She was nearly pleading, but she thought her argument was sound.

Her mother pursed her lips, a signature move, but her father seemed to be considering.

"I can agree with that." Isaac said. Odette shot him a thankful glance.

"Five years is still too long. But yes, you will move here and work." Her mother said, looking to Isaac, who nodded. He may be the Govenor, but it certainly felt like Helena Hale was in control of the room.

"Two years, at most." Her father said, "The planning can start now."

And that was final.

* * *

Murphy sat tucked into a corner cot in the Barracks. He'd begrudgingly accepted the donated food they served him and retreated to his assigned bed. Tossing his empty plate to the side, he leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

He felt numb. After all he'd seen on the ground, after all he'd done, he didn't expect to feel hurt again. He hadn't opened up to someone since his mother's suicide, and now he remembered why. _This_. This feeling. This _pain_.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Murphy didn't open his eyes right away; he knew exactly who had approached him.

"Jaha," he said, as he pushed his head off the wall. "What a pleasant surprise." His voice was sticky with sarcasm.

Jaha sat on the empty cot across from him.

"I heard the Sky People are here. The whole City is talking about it. You did it."

Murphy smirked, "What? You doubted me?"

"Of course not." Jaha said, his tone eerily peaceful.

Murphy ignored him, "yeah. They are here. Kane and the rest of his crew. They are talking to the Govenor as we speak."

Jaha eyed the empty plate beside him, "I expected you'd be with them."

"Yeah, well," Murphy shrugged, "I did what I promised. My job is done."

Jaha nodded before asking, "And what about the girl? Did she go with you? Is she alright?"

Murphy tensed. "She's fine. She's with them." He needed to change the subject. "Did she send the doctors to you?"

Jaha nodded again, "they did what they could." He hesitated. "They called her The Governess. That girl, Odette."

Murphy nearly laughed. So even Jaha knew before him?

"So I've since learned," he said bitterly.

"You didn't know?" Jaha asked.

The anger was bubbling back up again, like bile in his throat, hot and toxic. "Know? Know that she was engaged to the Governor? That she'd eventually be ruling the entire City? No. She conveniently left all that out."

"Ah," Jaha said, as if it suddenly all made sense.

The two men sat in silence for a moment. Murphy was prepared for the conversation to be over.

Jaha broke the silence, "Well, does she want to be Governess?" he asked.

"I don't know," Murphy said truthfully.

"Does she want to marry this... Governor fellow?" Jaha pressed.

"I don't know," Murphy hissed through clenched teeth.

"So," Jaha began, leaning forward, "you fell in love with a girl who you can never have, so you came here. To runaway," he said flatly.

Murphy just shook his head, looking down, unable to speak. He was too angry, too hurt. He tried to channel all his anger towards Jaha, but it failed. He couldn't. The man was right.

"Let me tell you one thing, John," he said. Murphy didn't look at him. "Life is short on the Ground. It's hard. And most of the time, it's not fair: any one of us could die tomorrow. So if you've found one thing, just _one_ _good_ _thing_ , you'd be a fool to let it go."

Jaha paused and stood, hoping Murphy would at least hear his last words.

"We don't have the luxury of time, John. Somewhere, a clock is ticking."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Odette was abruptly awoken by a pounding on her door. She shot out of bed, grabbing her robe and wraping it around her, heart pounding. It was late into a stormy night: no one _should_ be knocking on her door.

Bewildered, she crept toward the door and opened it slightly, peaking out.

It was him.


	19. Stolen

"John," she breathed, the name a ghost on her tongue.

He stood in her doorway, framed by the rain that fell around him. Hair clung to his forehead, while his clothes stuck to his shoulders, soaked through from the downpour. He ignored it, instead he only stared back at her as if she the last thing on Earth.

"What are you-" she began, but was cut off as he stepped forward, pushing his lips against hers with such force that she stumbled back into the apartment. He caught her with an arm around the waist, the other wrapped around her neck. She kissed him back fiercely, letting her hands roam through his wet hair.

He pulled away for just a moment, lifting his lips just inches from hers. "I don't care," he said, breathily heavily, "that you didn't tell me." Then he was kissing her again, as if he hadn't said anything. A moment later, he pulled back again, "I don't care if you're engaged." He kissed her once more before gently pushing her against the wall. She could feel every inch of warmth beneath his damp skin.

This time when he pulled away, he studied her eyes for a long moment before he said, "I don't care about all that. I just want you. I just want to be with you."

She stared back at him, unsure what to say. Her heart was afloat while she stood speechless. But it wasn't a moment for words.

Odette pulled him back to her, catching his lips with hers. He pushed agianst her, hungry and wanting. She held him close as he pinned her against the wall; as if they were so desperate to melt their bodies into one.

She felt his wet clothes under her fingers and began to peel them off, pulling his jacket from his shoulders. He broke the kiss for a moment while he lifted his shirt over his head. He studied her for a moment again before she pulled him back toward her. He opened her mouth with his has he drew her robe away. His skin was feverish against hers, still damp from the rain.

Suddenly, he lifted her into the air, grinning like mad as she yelped.

"John!" she giggled, as he walked toward the bed. He lay her down gently beneath him.

He just looked at her, as if he didn't quite believe she was his. But she was. She knew it then, in that moment. She was completely and entirely his. She hoped he knew.

And by they way he looked down at her, as if he'd never seen something quite as wondrous, she knew he did.

The boy who fell from the sky leaned down to kiss her again.

* * *

The sun hadn't yet risen, but they both lay awake.

It had been a week since he'd come to her in the middle of the night, wet and wanting. They'd been holed up in her apartment, not bothered by anyone. Odette had ventured out a few times to the Governor's Estate, performing her pre-governess duties, as she promised her father she would. The last thing she wanted was them to come looking for her and find John in her bed.

She'd met with the Sky People numerous times while working at the Estate, and none of them asked where John was. Bellamy once made a snide comment about his disappearance, but it had gone ignored. Even Jaha had showed up to work with the Isaac, Isaac's advisors, and the Sky people, and didn't bother asking about John's whereabouts (though he seemed to give Odette a knowing look).

For Odette, it had been the happiest week in recent years. John and her played house in her apartment, reminding her of the days they spent together after they first met. He mostly stayed in the apartment, as to not draw attention, and she'd go to the estate, stop at the shops for food, and return home to him. They spent their evenings cooking together. As she washed the dishes, she'd feel him wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her neck. They spent their nights awake, blanketed in moonlight. Those were her favorite hours; laying together, being together, laughing together.

He always complained when she left bed.

It was nearly morning, but they were still awake. The room was bathed in the soft, blue aura of the early morning. Odette lay with her head on his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath.

"What are we going to do?" she mumbled aloud, half asleep. The question had been weighing on her more as the days went by.

"Hmm?" he asked, as if he didn't hear her.

"What are we going to do?" she asked again, raising her head and resting her chin on his chest to look at him.

He was staring up at the ceiling. Sighing, he answered, "I hoped we wouldn't have to worry about that for a while."

"It has been a while," she said. "I don't know if we will be able to stay here, you know, once I break off the wedding."

He looked down at her and kissed her forehead softly, "I know," he said.

"But this is the safest place... what about Arkadia?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He just looked at her. "This is the safest place," he agreed, "but we will figure it out when we have to. Not now, not yet." With that he moved down to kiss her, and she met his lips willingly. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to dwell on, though she could hardly ignore it.

Suddenly there was a thunderous pound on the door, followed by another, and within a moment, it door flew open. Odette and John jumped from the bed as six guards filed into the apartment, weapons drawn.

"John Murphy of the Sky People," the first one yelled, aiming directly at John, "you are under arrest for kidnapping."

"What?" Odette asked in surprise, but she couldn't hear herself. Suddenly there was a loud buzzing sound in her ears that she knew no one else could hear.

The guards flocked them from both sides, reaching for John. They grabbed him by both arms, yanking him toward them. Odette held on to him, all the while yelling in protest. They wouldn't take him, not without a fight.

Before she realized it, she was being tugged backwards, both arms pulled behind her back, straining her shoulders. She was screaming now, tears falling freely.

She watched as the guards wrestled John to the ground. One put his knee to John's stomach, making him keel over. He collapsed to the floor with a grunt.

"STOP," she cried as they huddled on top of him. Three guards held him down while he struggled, one slide handcuffs over his wrists and shut them tightly. John fought anyway, wiggling beneath them.

"STOP!" she yelled again, "he's done nothing wrong: this is a _mistake_."

Together, the guards heaved John back onto his feet. His hair hung in his face, but she could see blood dripping from his lip.

Seeing him like that jolted something in her. She kicked behind her fiercely, connecting with the guard's knee. Instantly she was free, and she lunged toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear, so only he could hear. "I love you and I'll find you. I'll get you out."

She felt hands on her shoulders as she was ripped back. She caught John's eyes for a moment before they made to drag him out. They were wide in surprise, yet soft with a hint of sorrow.

"Just wait!" she cried as they dragged him out, two guard staying behind to hold her back, "wait for me!"

And just like that, the room was still again. The guards released their grip on her and her knees instantly buckled. She fell to the floor in a heap of tears and anger.

Odette heard their heavy footfalls as they crossed the room to leave, but just before they reached the doorway, the footsteps stopped.

"Did you really think you would get away with this?" one guard asked, but she refused to look up.

They slammed the door behind them.

* * *

[I apologize for the lack of chapters as I've been extremely busy at work the past month. I'll put out some new (and hopefully longer) chapters soon! I'm not done with this story at all!]


	20. Backwards Walk

The sun had just began to rise when Odette entered the Governor's Estate. She hadn't waited for the footman to lead her to the dinning room, but instead burst through the doors, knowing she'd find Isaac eating breakfast.

He was sitting with his Uncle, sipping on tea, not even glancing at her.

"Where is he?" she demanded, stopping at the end of the table.

Isaac set his teacup down, "perhaps we don't want to do this here, Odette?" he asked calmly, nodding to his uncle across from him.

She didn't care. "How could you do this, Isaac?"

He stood and gestured to the door. Fuming, she followed him into his office.

As soon as Isaac shut the doors, she was yelling again, "where is he?"

Isaac folded his arms across his chest, frowning, "behind bars. Where he belongs."

She nearly flinched at the thought of him locked up again. John hadn't come down from the stars just to be put in another cage on the ground.

"He hasn't broken any laws, Isaac. Release him."

Isaac shook his head, "how did you think this would end, Odette?" He shoved the words in her face, "you're engaged. To the governor. And you're sleeping with a _savage_. I couldn't risk that getting out."

Odette scoffed, "so you had him arrested to save my reputation? YOUR reputation?"

"I'm _hurt_ , Odette," he stepped closer, "I thought you wanted to marry me?"

"I didn't know what I wanted!" she felt tears brimming in her eyes. She was so mad at him, so angry with what he'd done, but she couldn't help but hate her self a little, too. This would hurt him.

"And you know now?"

She nodded, "I know now. And I'm sorry. I know it's not fair to you to find out this way..."

He laughed then, disbelieving. He ran his hand over his face and turned to go to the window.

"You won't marry me -won't become Governess- because of some savage?" he asked, his back turned to her.

She sighed, "I'm sorry, Isaac. I want to be with him. I love him."

He scoffed, "well, that's too bad."

"What?" she asked, blood rushing in her ears.

He turned to look at her, "it's too bad you love someone else when you're marrying me. A shame really, but I'm sure it will pass."

She shook her head, did he misunderstand? "Isaac... I'm not marrying you."

He smirked, "Oh, darling. Do you think you have a choice?"

"I _do_ have a-"

"I have the man you love locked up in prison cell right now, Odette. He's being charged with kidnapping. Perhaps more. I can keep him there as long as I wish."

Her eyes burned with tears that had yet to fall. She was too shocked, too numb, to cry. This wasn't the Isaac she knew- so cold, so calculating. He wouldn't blackmail her into marrying him. But this wasn't the Isaac she knew- this was the Governor.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, "why me? Why does it matter so much?"

His face went soft. "You know my father always wanted me to marry you, Odette. That's the future he saw for this city." He left the window to meet her in the middle of the room. "He died knowing the City would be safe with us. It's what he wanted."

How could she argue with that? Isaac idolized his father, and since his death, he'd only put him on a higher pedestal. But this wasn't about what his father wanted, this was about what they wanted. They were the ones who would have to live with it, in the end.

"But would he want you to do _this_? This is cruel, Isaac."

He took a step closer and grabbed her arm gently, "this is how it was meant to be Odette. You and me against the world. The two of us ruling the City."

She just shook her head, feeling tears finally begin to fall on her cheeks. She was losing control.

"Are you trying to punish me?" she spat, the words coming out like venom, "is this because I slept with him? Because you're jealous?" she pulled her arm from his grip.

He leaned closer, "you went behind my back to be with him. You lead me to believe you wanted to marry me. You _lied,_ Odette. It hurt."

He wasn't wrong, she knew that. But she had intended on telling him the truth. She just kept shaking her head, unable to think of a response.

"You're acting like a child," he went on, "you know your parents would never let you break the engagement. This is just how it is. This is your destiny."

"No," she whispered, more to herself than to him. She stepped back from him, feeling faint. There was a loud buzzing in her ears and her thoughts were swirling.

"I'm not going to marry you, Isaac. I'm not going to be Governess. I love him and I'm not going to stop fighting until he's free." The buzzing was louder now, and black dots were clouding her vision. She felt hot bile rising in her throat, it caught in her throat. She covered her mouth, coughing, choking. As she lowered her hand, she found herself looking at splattered blood.

Suddenly, she was too tired to be frightened, or angry. She looked up at Isaac, questioning. His brows were knit with concern.

"Odette?" he asked, but she couldn't hear him. It was a bubbling, thick sound.

"I.." she tried to say, before the world went black.

* * *

Murphy had decided he'd been in the darkness of his cell for at least a week. It was impossible to tell the passing of days with no natural light. He was in complete darkness, save one faint light at the end of the row of cells. The other cells beside him were empty, to his surprise. At first, he welcomed the seclusion, but now, after so many days in the cell, the silence was defining.

He was falling in and out of a light sleep when he heard the hall door open. Two men exchanged words, followed by footsteps. Murphy sat straight up. He'd had no visitors since they'd shoved him into this hell hole, no Odette, no Isaac, no sky people.

He scrambled out of bed and lunged for the bars, completely aware of how desperate he looked.

The two men approached, and Murphy instantly knew who'd come to visit him.

"Jaha," he said, flatly. He'd probably be happier to see Bellamy right now, or even Clarke.

"Hello John," Jaha greeted him. He stopped in front of the cell, nodded to the officer and the two were left alone. For a moment Murphy felt like he was back on the Ark.

"De'ja vu," he joked, half heartedly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Unfortunately, nothing good," Jaha said, clasping his hands behind his back in the most pompous way he could. "Odette is sick. Very sick."

Murphy felt a rock drop in his stomach. "What?"

"It's been about a week now. The doctors here have tried all they could but... they don't know what's wrong."

"I don't understand?" Murphy said, shocked. It was all too much to handle after being in a dark room, alone, for days. His mind couldn't register it.

"She's dying, John," Jaha said.

"No. No that can't be. She was fine. She was _fine_ last week. It's Isaac. He's done something..." his mind was racing. He thought his heart was going to break through his ribs with its fierce pounding. For a moment, he forgot how to breath. It was panic; pure, complete panic.

"She's sick, the doctors here can't help her. But there might be someone who can," Jaha said, cryptically.

"Who? What can they do? We have to get them," Murphy rattled.

"That's where you come in."


	21. Broken Oars

Murphy was shocked he was being allowed out of his cell, his home for the past week, especially when the Governor still was unaware of Jaha's proposal. Murphy had accepted the plan in a heartbeat, knowing Odette's life could rely on it, but he was still in shock. Last he had saw her, she was completely healthy. Part of him felt like it was all a lie; that she couldn't possibly be sick. It was too foreign an idea, her being so ill, when she was always so _alive_. But he needed to see her, he needed to know she was alright.

Jaha walked in front of him and the guards as they approached the throne room, as Odette so affectionally called it. Murphy was still in handcuffs, and flanked by four City guards. They lead him down unfamiliar tunnels that eventually lead him into what he recognized as the Governor's estate. Finally the guards opened the doors into the Throne Room, and Jaha led them in.

For a moment Murphy thought he'd see Odette, and his heart fluttered, but deep down he knew she wouldn't be here. She was bedridden, he'd been told.

The Sky Kru was all ready present, lining the walls. They were all dressed in the same dark attire as usual, but were more clean then he could ever remember. It was strange to see them here, in a place so much like the Ark. He'd hadn't known any of them before the Ground.

The Governor was seated in his Throne, something he didn't often do. Normally, he stood before it. His Uncle stood next to him, hovering.

Murphy and Jaha stopped in front of the white steps and Isaac rose, stepping forwarding and clasping his hands behind his back: a power stance.

"Thelonious Jaha, welcome. It's been brought to my attention that you've called for an audience in regards to my fiancé, Odette Hale."

Murphy furrowed his eyebrows. Surely Isaac had been briefed on the plan, why else would he let Murphy out? This, this was all for show, to remind everyone of his power.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Governor." Jaha bowed slightly. "The Sky People and I are very sorry to hear of Miss Hale's illness. I realize your doctors have done all they can for her."

Isaac nodded and Murphy felt the pit in his stomach grow. Something about hearing the Governor confirm Odette's state finally made it feel real.

"Indeed," Isaac breathed threw clenched teeth, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"And I'm sorry to hear that," Jaha took a step nearer the stairs, "but I have an idea."

"Go on," Isaac nodded as his Uncle stepped beside him.

"Abby Griffin is our best doctor. She's saved countless lives, including my own. Her daughter, Clarke," Jaha nodded toward Clarke who stood between Kane and Bellamy, "can vouch for her excellence as a physician."

Clarke didn't stepped forward, instead she simply looked to Isaac before nodding in confirmation.

"Perhaps Abby could help her," Jaha added.

Bellamy stepped forward from the line, "you'd be taking our best doctor away after a _bombing_." He reminded. "She is needed in Arkadia."

"I have to agree," Kane nodded, "we need her."

"Of course, but if we are to merge our two societies, we have to stop thinking of each other as 'us' and 'them'," Jaha preached. "Jackson and the others are more than capable of looking after Arkadia while Abby is away. She will want to see the City for herself before leaving Arkadia for good. We will bring her here to treat Miss Hale, show her the City, and get her back as quickly as possible."

"I understand your people are in need as well," the Governor added, "but if this doctor can save Odette..." Murphy could sense Isaac's Governor persona slipping away as he talked about Odette. He gritted his teeth. Clearly there was something there, between Isaac and Odette, something more than duty. At least, on Isaac's side there was. He cared for her.

"Abby will want to see the City before she makes any decisions about if we should abandon Arkadia," Kane looked to Bellamy.

Bellamy shook his head, "if Arkadia is bombed again, they will need her."

"Then we will get her back there as soon as possible," Murphy retorted, without realizing how sarcastic he sounded.

The entire room looked to him, surprised by the prisoner's outburst. Too bad they hadn't gagged him.

"Jaha," Isaac stepped forward, nearly reaching the stairs. "You haven't mentioned why you insisted on bringing him here," and he threw his head in Murphy's direction, a tinge of disgust in his voice.

"John Murphy has traveled between Arkadia and The City of Light more than any other person. He knows the land the best and he's the most experience."

Isaac raised his eyebrows, "are you suggesting I let a prisoner free?"

"One person travels quicker than a group, and he know's the route better than anyone. He's your best option."

When Jaha had first suggested this idea to Murphy, he'd laughed. Isaac would never go for it.

"He's under arrest," Isaac reminded, crossing his arms, "how can I trust he would even come back? It won't pardon him. He will go right back to a cell."

"Because he loves her," Jaha answered simply, and the room went silent. Murphy actually heard a pin drop.

Isaac didn't flinch.

Murphy clicked his jaw but didn't say anything. What was the reason to deny it? They needed to convince Isaac to let him go. It was the only way to save Odette. And it was true, anyway.

"He would never do anything to jeopardize her life. He will travel to Arkadia, get Abby, and return as quickly as possible. For her." Jaha finished.

Isaac took a deep breath, as if his next words would physically pain him. "Okay," he said. "Fine. Send him."

Bellamy opened his mouth to argue but Kane grabbed his arm, silencing him with a look. Clarke's eyebrow were crossed in concern.

Jaha turned as if to leave, but Murphy wasn't done.

"One condition," he yelled up to Isaac, who had also made to leave.

He stopped short and turned back to Murphy, an eyebrow raised. "A condition? And what's that?"

"Odette. I need to see her."

"No. Absolutely not."

"I need to see her," Murphy said again, more forcefully this time. "It could be the last time I..." he trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. "It could be the last time I see her... if she.."

Isaac studied him from his elevated spot on the platform, as if trying to understand him.

He understood.

"Okay," he agreed, as if it pained him, "Pack your things. You leave tonight."

* * *

They led him to a room on the upper floors of the Estate. He was astounded by its grandeur. The house was immaculately decorated; almost overly so. Compared to the rest of the City, it was a pearl in a dirty mollusk.

Two guards stood before the door they brought him to. Nodding, they stepped aside, leaving the door bare. After quickly glancing back and forth between the two guards, he stepped forward and opened the door.

Odette lay asleep in an eloquent canopy bed, appearing too peaceful for his comfort.

He dove toward her, at her bedside in an instant.

"Odette," he breathed, "Odette."

Her eyelids fluttered, opening quickly. They focused on the ceiling before dancing around the room, eventually landing on Murphy. She drew in a breath, quick and shallow.

"John," she mouthed, but no sound came out, only a whisper of what would have been. What had been.

Murphy smiled. "Hey," he said softly, petting her hair back. It was wet with cold sweat.

"Hey," she breathed back.

"I'm going to get you help, okay?" He said, feeling the unfriendly reminder of tears in the back of his throat. "I'm going to get Abby and she's going to help you."

Odette tried to smile, pulling the corner of her lips up. "Okay," she said soft as a whisper. She closed her eyes, as if exhausted by the effort.

Murphy felt the burn of tears rising in his eyes, "I'm going to get Abby and she's going to save you, okay?" His voice was steady, but his heart was not.

She nodded slightly, as if that's all she had left.

He felt guard's hands grab him under his arms.

"I'm going to get help, Odette," he said more forcefully as they began to drag him away. "Just hold on, just hold on," he pleaded.

But she was silent, already succumbed to the exhaustion.

"Just hold on," he nearly yelled again as they dragged him to the door, fighting the whole way.

"I love you," he shouted, just as they shut the door in his face.


	22. My Tears are Becoming a Sea

Murphy wasted no time traveling across the Dead Zone. He had gone back and forth from Arkadia and the City of Light enough times to know where he was headed.

He hardly slept as he went, convincing himself not to run the entire way. The exhaustion was bound to catch up with him, but knowing Odette's life was on the line drove him to push the boundaries of his own body. Even as he lay down to rest, his mind couldn't stop yelling at him to get up, to keep going. He didn't have the leisure of time. He had to get the Arkadia, get Abby, and return as quickly as humanly possible.

The forest was rougher, knowing the Grounders could be anywhere. He knew he was being rather careless, jogging through the trees without caution, but nothing and no one would convince him to stop.

Normally, the journey would take a group nearly a week to reach Arkadia. He did it in half that, finally breaking into the clearing that housed the camp by afternoon on the fourth day.

As he approached, he felt his knees might buckle, but he continued forward.

He was greeted with guns, as per usual.

"I'm here to speak with Abby," he said flatly, noticing Raven limping toward him.

"Why are you here?" she asked, "are the others okay?"

Murphy nodded, "they are fine, safe behind City walls. I'm here for Abby."

Raven eyed him up and down, debating if she believed him.

"Come with me."

* * *

They found her in the makeshift infirmary they'd built with beams and tarps. Most of the beds were empty, unlike the last time he was here. Being here, he couldn't help but be reminded of Odette. When he'd been bedridden, injured from the bombs, he'd woken up to her sleeping on the cot beside her. They'd shared their first kiss that day.

Murphy did his best to explain the situation without sounding like he was begging. He'd given her a letter from Kane, along with a note from Odette's doctor explaining her symptoms and treatments.

"Kane wanted you to see the City of Light for yourself, now that the injured are healed," he finished.

Abby crossed her eyebrows, not looking convinced.

"We need her here," Raven interjected. "If we are bombed again..."

Jackson stood from his seat at the medical table before him, "we are quite capable of running the Infirmary without Abby."

"She's the best surgeon we have-" Raven protested.

Murphy could feel himself losing the battle.

"But she _does_ need to see the City before any decisions are made about abandoning Arkadia," Murphy argued. "The journey will be quick. We will get you back here as soon as possible."

Raven and Jackson looked to Abby, who had said little since Murphy had begun talking.

"Odette's life is on the line. She'll die without you," he reminded her. His heart had began to flutter. If Abby declined... He'd already decided he wouldn't leave without her. Living without her was letting Odette die.

Abby sighed, clearly exhausted with her choice. "If I go, how quickly can I be back?" she asked Murphy.

"A week," he lied, knowing in all likelihood it'd be at least a week and a half.

She glanced back down at the note Kane had written her.

"If there is another bombing..." Raven said.

"We have everything under control," Jackson reminded again.

"I'll go," she breathed, "let me get some things. Jackson, I'll need you to gather some ingredients for me. We can leave tomorrow."

"We should leave as soon as possible." Murphy insisted, relieved she'd agreed.

"I realize you are worried about your friend, but you are no good if you fall from exhaustion in the woods." She sounded like a mother instructing her child, "get some sleep, I'll gather the things I need, and we will leave in the morning."

* * *

Odette had awoken to Isaac sitting at her bedside. Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning back on the headboard.

It'd been a week since John left, and gradually she'd been getting her strength back.

"Isaac," she said, "what do I owe this pleasant surprise." She hoped the sarcasm didn't escape him. "Is John back?" she added.

He frowned, "no, he's not. But i'd expect him any day now."

Odette felt the knot in her stomach grow. Though she'd physically been feeling better, knowing John was beyond the City walls, in danger, trying to save her, left her in a constant state of worry. If anything happened to him out there, she'd be crushed. And Isaac knew it.

"Well, I'm nearly back on my feet, so I guess it doesn't matter when he gets back, as long as he's alright," she said.

Isaac shifted his weight uncomfortably, "we still don't know what caused this or if you actually are better. It's important he brings Abby back to diagnose you."

"Sure," Odette nodded. Sure, she knew he was right, but she was feeling drastically better than she was a week ago, and her thoughts were only about John, not herself. "Will you tell me as soon as they get here?"

"Of course," Isaac nodded.

"Bring him here as soon as you can," she added. "I know you'll bring Abby but..."

Isaac furrows his eyebrows, "I can't do that, Odette?"

She was afraid of this. She tightened her grip on her sheets, "what? Why not?"

"He's still under arrest," he said flatly.

"Still?" she sat forward, anger building. "Isaac he's risking his life to help me. To help _your_ fiancée."

"Oh, now you remember?" he said sarcastically, "you _are_ my fiancee. I thought you'd forgotten."

She felt beads of sweat rising on her forehead, but wasn't sure if it was due to the sickness or the anger.

"He's done nothing to be locked up for, he's done nothing wrong!" she yelled.

"He did!" Isaac roared back, standing up and slamming his fist on the bedside table. "You did!"

After a moment of silence, his face softened, "you hurt me, Odette."

Odette looked away, too ashamed to look him in the eye, "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. I never expected this... but it's no reason to lock him up."

Isaac studied her face for a moment.

"Okay," he crossed his arms, "I'll let him free, on one condition."

Odette gritted her teeth, "what condition?"

"Marry me, and I'll let him go."

The air was sucked from Odette's lungs, she was afraid he would give her this ultimatum.

She was silent for a few moments, but she knew what she had to do. She knew before he asked.

"If I marry you, you'll leave him alone?" she felt a tear slip down her cheek, "he'll be free to live in the City without being bothered?"

Isaac nodded, "He'll be free. I'll leave him alone."

"Why are you so adamant about this? Why would you stoop so low?" she whispered.

Isaac shook his head, "I don't want to do this. This isn't me, you know that, but this is what my parents wanted, what your parents want. It's what the City expects from us. This is the way it has to be," his voice was soft, he was practically begging her.

"Promise me you'll leave him alone."

"I promise. The moment we are married, he will be free."

"Okay," she said, "I'll do it." She laid her head back and closed her eyes.

He smiled slightly, "then I'll begin preparations. We'll wait until you're well, of course."

She didn't say anything. He took her silence as his cue to leave. Turning around, he was nearly out the door when she spoke.

"Isaac," she said. He turned to look at her.

"Just remember I'm marrying you because I love someone else," she spat.


	23. Sunrise, Sunset

After Murphy and Abby returned from their quiet trek to the City of Light, Murphy was promptly escorted back to cell under the Estate. He didn't argue - he knew this would be the case - instead, he only asked about Odette's health.

"She's alive," a guard grunted at him. That's all he could get out of them, no amount of swearing or insults seemed to phase them.

He'd been in his cell alone for two days, without any news on Odette, before he finally had a visitor, and it was the last person he'd expected.

"Isaac," Murphy greeted bitterly, standing and brushing off his pants, trying to appear slightly more dignified than he felt.

"I apologize for keeping you in the dark the past two days," Isaac said diligently, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back: his classic Governor stance.

Murphy shrugged his shoulders, acting much more relaxed than he truly was. "I'm use to it," he said flatly.

"Odette is much better. Back on her feet," Isaac confirmed.

Murphy worked to keep his relief hidden. "So soon?" he raised his eyebrows, "Abby works quick."

Isaac nodded, "actually, Odette began recovering after you left, but Dr. Griffin was able to give her medication that helped as well. She believes it was potentially caused by an exposure to a toxin. She supposes it may be from Odette's apartment, considering she began to recover once she left it."

The tightness in his chest was finally beginning to loosen. Odette was safe. She was _alive_.

He nodded, "am I taking Abby back to Arkadia, then?"

Isaac shook his head, "no, some of your people are traveling back to Arkadia and she will go with them. You'll stay here."

Murphy stayed quiet. He was somewhat relieved he wouldn't have to travel back to Arkadia, but that only meant he'd be in this dark cell longer.

Isaac took a step back, beginning to retreat."I just thought you deserved to know how Odette was doing." He turned and made towards the stairs. "Your trial will begin soon, but I except you'll be getting out sooner rather than later," he said over his shoulder.

Murphy crossed his eyebrows at the cryptic words.

* * *

It was another three days in the dark empty cell before he'd get another visitor. By this time, he was accustom to the darkness. It didn't much remind him of his cell in the Skybox. This place was dark and damp, while the Skybox was bright and clean. To be honest, he almost preferred this cell to the Skybox; it fit his mood better.

He had just begun to doze off agaisnt the wall when he heard another visitor begin to descend the steps. His heart leapt in his throat, hoping it was Odette. He pushed himself off rom the concrete floor and flung himself towards the bars.

Muddy boots emerged on the stairs, soon followed by Jaha's shadowy figure.

Murphy slouched against the bars, not attempting to hide his disappointment.

"I know I'm not who you were hoping for," Jaha was unfazed by Murphy's response, "but I come with good news."

"Good news?" Murphy snorted, "I'll believe it when I see it."

Just as he spoke, two guards descended the stairs behind Jaha.

"What is this?" Murphy asked, a slight nervousness swimming in his belly.

"You're free," Jaha said, simply.

Murphy laughed in disbelief, "what? free?" When Jaha didn't respond, he probed again, "No, the Governor said there was going to be a trial."

The guards behind Jaha went around him and began to unlock Murphy's cell. He glanced up at the confounded.

"There will be no trial. Odette made the clear. You're free, the Governor agreed to it."

The door on his cell swung open, but he didn't move.

"That doesn't sound like something the Governor would do," he said, hesitantly."

Jaha moved to stand in the empty doorway, he nodded towards the guards. "They are here to escort you out."

"What? Out of the City? Going to throw me in the Dead Zone with the rest of the 'unwanteds'?"

Jaha cocked his head, "No, out of the Estate. You're free to stay in the City."

The guards moved beside Jaha into Murphy's cell, grabbing him by both arms. He didn't struggle, instead he let his feet move forward automatically.

The guards brought him up the stairs and into the bright lights of the hall, stinging his eyes. He blinked hard for a few moments as they dragged him toward another set of stairs, Jaha trailing them.

They emerged onto what Murphy recognized as the first floor. Servants were bustling to and fro through the hall, skirting around the guards without a glance. They continued moving him through the maze, until he wasn't sure where he was any longer.

They met a crossroads in the hall and as he glanced down the hall to his left, his stomach dropped.

There was Odette, standing tall and beautiful, in a white dress. Isaac stood beside her in a dark suit, speaking at a footman.

The white dress. His freedom. The servants. The suit. It all clicked in an instant.

He could only imagine the look of horror on his face when she turned and met his gaze. It was as if the world was moving in slow motion.

She just starred at him, a heartbroken look of disbelief written on her face.

Murphy felt as if a brick and been dropped within him, somewhere, and it wouldn't let him move, or breath, or speak. It was crushing him, from the inside out. _She_ was crushing him, from the inside out.

The guards continued to drag him down the hall, and suddenly she was out of sight, but he could hear her.

"You did that on _purpose,_ " she sounded as if she was about to cry, "I _told_ you not-" she went on, as her voiced was drowned out.

For a moment Murphy thought to break free of the guard's grip and run back to her, but some other part of him, the numb part, wouldn't do it. He was too dazed to be angry or sad; too dazed to feel. He let them continue to lead him forward.

They brought him to the servants exit, right at the end of the servant's hall. The guards pulled the large door open and unceremoniously shoved him into the garden. His feet fumbled and he found himself in the mud. Murphy glanced up and saw a swarm of people surrounding the fence.

He pushed himself up and didn't bother to whip the mud from his hands. Instead, he went to the gate and joined the crowd, heading towards the front of the estate. He knew what they were here for.

He didn't bother being polite. He shoved his way through the people, ignoring their smiles and cheers.

Murphy had just rounded the front of the estate when the crowd broke into a wave thunderous applause. He stopped and looked around anxiously, looking for her.

And there she was, up on the second story balcony, in her wedding dress. She looked beautiful.

And there was Isaac, standing beside her, smiling and waving.

He wanted her to catch eyes with him; to see him in the crowd, but he knew it was impossible.

Instead he watched silently. Odette smiled and waved, making it as believable as she could. But he knew her, he knew her smile, and that wasn't it. That was sadness.

At that moment, the numbness subsided, and it hit him like a bunch in the gut: she had traded everything for him.

Odette was married.


	24. As We Are Now

Odette insisted on staying in her own room in the Estate, and Isaac obliged. She was furious with him. After they'd retreated from the balcony she'd stormed off, and he didn't chase her. He must have understood, she assumed, the low thing he'd done.

She was supposed to be the one to tell John. She was supposed to be the one that broke the news.

But how do you tell the one you love that you've married someone else? That there is no place in your life for them any longer?

 _Maybe you don't,_ she thought to herself, _maybe those aren't words you can ever really say. Maybe this was the only way._

But she remembered the hurt in his eyes. It hung all over his face: envy, hate, _pain_. It seemed all too familiar to him, and she hated herself for causing him any of it.

He had used those words to describe himself once. "The ABC's of me," he'd said. They'd been walking through the forest to Arkadia.

She hadn't responded. She didn't believe him, not when he'd said it then. But when she saw him in the hall today, when she'd saw how it was so well etch into his face... and she'd just become a of the long line of people in his life who'd caused it.

Odette quietly cried herself to sleep that night, blaming Isaac, blaming her parents, but mostly, blaming herself.

* * *

Murphy had been living in the barracks two days now. He'd toyed with the idea of leaving with the others back to Arkadia, but he felt no great love for the Sky People, and knew well enough that the feeling was mutual.

He'd heard some of them had stayed at the Estate after the wedding, but he wasn't sure who. He didn't much care.

He didn't much care about anything, any more.

The numbness had stayed with him while he stumbled back to the barracks and found his old bunk surprisingly empty. That's when the aches settled in. He'd been through much in his life, between his mother and father dying. He was younger then, but the pain was still there, raw and hollow, an echo of what it had been.

But the physical ache was back now, carving his insides off the bone. He lay there in the dark, aware his clothes sticky to his sweaty skin.

He wanted to _do something_. He wanted to charge into the Estate and drag her from Isaac's grip. He wanted to burn the whole place down if he could.

But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything. And that's what hurt the most.

"John Murphy. Have you seen him?" he heard his name over the slow murmur of voices around him. Whoever said it couldn't have been more than a few cots away.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for someone named Murphy." The voice was closer, and he knew who it belonged to instantly.

"Bellamy," he rolled over and sat up slowly, trying to appear less ragged then he knew he looked.

Bellamy Blake rounded the cot beside him and glanced down at John, "Murphy," he said, "you look like hell."

"Good to see you, too," Murphy said lazily, pushing himself off the cot to meet Bellamy face to face.

Bellamy looked slightly uncomfortable, as if unaware of his element. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" he asked quietly.

Murphy nearly laughed in his face, but didn't have the energy. "Talk? You want to talk? To me?"

"On behalf of someone else, yes," he raised an eyebrow.

Murphy instantly understood, his heart beginning to pick up pace. The barracks were overcrowded, teeming with hungry mouths and hungry ears.

"I know a place."

* * *

Murphy brought him to the only other place he knew in the City: Odette's apartment. He didn't expect anyone to be watching it, considering it may have made her sick.

The door was unlocked and the apartment was bare, aside from the basic furniture. All of Odette's personal items were gone, the clothes she hung on the chair, the flowers that sat in the center of the table, the quilt that lay on the end of her bed. Everything that made it Odette's was gone. It just made him feel all the more empty.

Bellamy shut the door behind them and threw the backpack he carried on the table. He pulled out a dark garment and twisted it over in his hands, revealing it to Murphy: a City Guard's uniform.

Murphy masked his shock with confusion, "the hell is that?" he asked.

Bellamy cocked his head annoyed, "you know what it is. Odette got it, for you."

"A guard's uniform," he said flatly.

"To sneak into the Estate unnoticed, I'd assume," Bellamy said, shoving it into Murphy's hands.

"And she ordered you to deliver it to me?" he asked, unsure of what exactly was happening.

"She asked, so yes," he said again, reaching into his bag. "Here's the guard's schedule at the Estate. When they go patrol, when they change shifts," he lay the parchment on the table.

"Odette got this, too?" Murphy asked, surprised, examining the document.

"Actually, I did," Bellamy zipped up his bag and slung it over his back, "out of curiosity, mostly. Still don't know how much we can trust these people. The Governor and this Uncle, I mean."

Murphy shook his head, "Odette asked you to do all this, and you just... you did it?"

"I know what you did for her, I know what she did for you," Bellamy shrugged, "so, yeah, I did it. I trust her. Now she'll trust me. Plus I needed an excuse to check out the Guard Estate Office," he paused. "You may be here for her, but Clarke and I are here for our people. We need to know what we can about this place. And we need to know who we can trust."

Bellamy made for the door, wasting no time in leaving. He turned as he pulled it open, "if you get caught, it's your head."

* * *

Odette paced anxiously in her room. It was well past ten by now and she expected the rest of the house was long asleep.

Her stomach had been in knots all day, knowing Bellamy was going to meet John. At least, he said he would. She wasn't entirely sure why, he'd been so admit that she stay away from Murphy the last time they'd spoke.

It was a plan she'd concocted quickly. Foolish as it was, there were many guards and many halls, and it was the simplest and quickest way to see him. Perhaps it wouldn't work for long, but it would at least work for now, with the excitement from the wedding and Sky people, the house wasn't as orderly as it normally was: extra guards meant new faces and new schedules. No one would notice a rogue face now and then.

She'd spent the day doing her best to avoid Isaac, just as she had the days after the wedding, but she couldn't avoid dinner. Isaac and his Uncle had invited Bellamy and Clarke, the only remaining Sky people in the City beside John, to dine with them.

It was awkward, to say the least. Bellamy and Clarke weren't exactly use to exchanging pleasantries. Bellamy insisted on asking about the food and live stock outside the city, while Clarke listened intently. The two were so serious.

Eventually, the conversation had turned to Arkadia.

"Isaac, perhaps you should consider visiting their land, meeting their people, before any final decisions are made," his Uncle had offered.

Isaac looked perplexed, "Visit Arkadia? That's a bit dangerous for the Governor, wouldn't you agree?"

His Uncle shrugged lightly, "surly, but with the right number of guards and skilled venturers," he gestured toward Bellamy and Clarke. He didn't finish his thought, instead he took another bit of his beef and said, "just an idea."

Odette nearly laughed out loud. It was a ridiculous picture, Isaac in the wood, stalking to Arkadia.

She was unrestful throughout dinner, eagerly waiting for night to fall.

Finally she'd been dismissed back to her room.

Her maid had helped her change into her night gown and brushed her hair gingerly, but Odette shooed her away quickly. She pulled her wedding ring off and set it on her bedside table.

She sat on her bed, sick of pacing. She didn't know how long she'd wait, but surly she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

She'd been laying in her bed, starring at the canopy above, for hours before she heard the door click open. She jolted, sitting up straight. There was a shadow of a guard in her doorway, but she knew those shoulders, that build.

He shut the door hastily behind him and she jumped out of bed, flying into his arms.

Part of her had feared he wouldn't come, or worse, he'd come and reject her, but instead he held her tightly, burying his head into her shoulder.

"you came, you're here," she said over and over, hardly believing it.

He kissed her hard on the mouth.

"Come with me," he said.


	25. I Will Break Your Heart

"What?" Odette shook her head, as if to straighten her thoughts, "come with you?"

He was holding her by the back of the neck, "we can leave," John said.

She was still shocked by his presence, and his words weren't what she had expected.

"John, I can't do that. You know I can't," Odette said softly.

He looked at her confused, pinching his eyebrows together. "What? I thought you..." he trailed off.

She reached up and gently removed the guard's cap that cast a shadow over his eyes.

"I needed to see you," she said, dropping the hat on the floor behind them. "I couldn't let that be goodbye."

John stepped back from her, leaving her feeling empty and cold.

"You wanted me to come here to say goodbye?" he asked, "so, what? you're just going to live here? stay married?" A thought flashed behind his eyes and his gaze flicked to the bed behind her. "You're married," he repeated, as if he needed to say it aloud to understand it, "you didn't..."

"No!" she nearly jumped forward, "no, no. I stay in this room. He stays in his." She waited a beat, "I wouldn't do that."

His shoulders relaxed and he ran a hand through his hair.

This isn't how she'd expected it to go.

"This isn't fair to me, you know," he said flatly.

"I know," was all she could say. He was right. It wasn't fair to him. "I can't justify it. I just... couldn't let you go like that."

This was going to hurt.

"So leave with me," he shrugged, smiling slightly, as if it was a simple request. He was trying to be cute and it was working.

She stepped toward him again, needing to be closer after so much time apart.

"We have nowhere to go," she explained. "You're _safe_ here."

He took her face in his hands. "I always survive, okay?" he reminded her, his anger and disappointment subsiding.

"I know you will," she said, feeling the burn of tears in the back of her eyes.

He frowned, understanding her meaning. He would survive, without her.

After a moment, John nodded and kissed her. There was something solemn about this kiss, something lingering and sad.

He pulled away. "Don't think I'm giving up that easily."

She gave him a disapproving look, but couldn't hold it. She fought a smile.

"Why did you do that for me?" he asked quietly, "you chose to gave away your whole life, just to free me?"

She shook her head, "there was never a choice, you idiot. This was the only way."

This time when he kissed her it was hungry. She wrapped her arms around him while he pushed against her, body to body. Together, they moved toward her bed, falling into the pillows as if falling into a dream.

* * *

John had left early the next morning, before the house began to wake. They had hardly slept, stealing any moment of the night they could. Just as the sky began to turn to the early morning blue, John kissed her hard on the mouth, before standing to dress. She lay in bed watching him.

It was strange to see him in the City Guard uniform: odd in an unwelcome way. She liked him in his Arkadian gear, all dark and dusty, just as he was when she first saw him.

"I'll come back tonight," he told her as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"The more you do it, the more dangerous it is, John," she reminded.

"I'll come back tonight," he repeated, ignoring her comment.

Fully dressed, he came to her side for one last kiss before slipping out of her room undetected.

* * *

Isaac summoned her to the study sometime after lunch. She'd been studying the City's last agricultural expansion, five years prior, preparing for an upcoming briefing on the next expansion.

He wasn't alone.

When she entered, Isaac was at his desk, flanked by Bellamy, Clarke and his Uncle, Basil.

"Ah, thank you for joining us, Odette," Isaac greeted cheerfully, as if he hadn't recently blackmailed her into marriage.

"Of course," she said, twisting her wedding band around her finger awkwardly, unsure of the situation.

"We have somewhat of an announcement," he explained, continuing to sit. He never spoke to her from behind the Governor's desk. "I'm going to visit Arkadia. We've decided it's the best way to ensure a peaceful transition. It's been brought to my attention that the citizens of the City are quite wary of the Sky people, and it sounds they are equally wary of us."

Bellamy nodded in affirmation.

"It's a show of good faith," Isaac finished, nearly sounding excited.

Odette frowned. "You know how dangerous it is right?" she asked flatly.

Uncle Basil answered for him, "of course he does. Bellamy and Clarke will lead him there, along with the finest Estate Guards. I will hand pick them myself. Numerous recent exhibitions have been successful with far less," he concluded.

"This is a bad idea." She shook he head, remembering her first visit across the wood and how naive she'd been before. It'd made her a killer.

"I'll be fine, Odette," he assured her.

In the back of her mind, part of her was screaming to let him go, to let him die. _He deserves it,_ she thought, but she shook it away. _Perhaps he does deserve it, but the City still needs its_ _Governor_ , she reminded herself.

Bellamy stepped forward, all strength and crossed arms. "We will have his back the whole time," he said.

Clarke nodded beside him, "we will make it to Arkadia unharmed - all of us."

She said it so matter-of-factly Odette nearly believed her more than Bellamy.

Odette sighed, "Well, it isn't really my decision, is it? It's your life that would be in danger."

Isaac frowned, "your Governess, Odette, and my wife, of course I want your opinion."

"And my opinion is, it's your life, so it's your call. Not mine." She wasn't going to make this choice for him, too much was at stake. If he died, she'd be free, but the Isaac she grew up with would be gone. She couldn't live with either outcome on her shoulders.

"Well I've decided," he said flatly, "and I'm going."

His uncle nodded, "the Governor must make sacrifices for his City. I'll begin assembling the guards."

Odette nearly laughed out loud. What a sacrifice.

"And Odette, I called you in here for something else, as well." Isaac stood from his seat behind his desk. "As you are now the Governess, and joint ruler here, I think it'd only be fit for you to act as Protector while I'm away. You'll have the final word on things while I'm away."

"Isaac," his uncle said instantly, "that's not as we discussed."

"I know, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense for her to rule and for you to advise, Uncle. This will be a good learning opportunity for her."

Uncle Basil was fuming, but he swallowed his anger.

 _Isaac must have originally offered him the role of Acting Protector_ , Odette thought.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later," Basil suggested.

"Perhaps not," Isaac said firmly, sitting back down, "Odette will be Acting Protector of the City of Light while I'm away, and that's final."

* * *

When John came to her that night, her head was still spinning. Acting Procter? She'd just become the Governess a week ago? Of course she'd been schooled in the ways of politics, but she wasn't ready to lead on her own.

"Isaac is going to Arkadia?" John reaffirmed almost too eagerly as they lay under the sheets that night. It was a full moon and the room was aglow in a soft, white haze. She lay with her head on his bare chest, feeling his slow breathing.

"It's idiotic, I know, "she sighed, tracing circles on his arm.

"Almost as idiotic as it was for you," he teased. She hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. Yesterday, he nearly laughed at the prospect, then today he's lacing up his boots."

She could feel him go tense under her. Perhaps talking about Isaac wasn't the best idea. But John was the only one she wanted to talk to about anything.

"Well, someone convinced him," he said, " Bellamy, or Clarke or the uncle."

"But why would Bellamy or Clarke convince him? Why would they want him to go to Arkadia?" she asked, raising her head to look at him.

He shrugged, "the two of them are always hatching schemes. They probably don't trust him yet."

"And this will make them trust him?"

John adjusted his back, more uncomfortable with the conversation than his position. "Look, I don't know. We were bombed,and we still don't know by who. Of course they are going to be suspicious. That's what they do." His voice was tense, agitated even.

She nodded and lay her head back down, snuggling closer. "Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter right now," she said, "at least we will be alone for a few weeks."

"Yeah," he said quietly, "it will give us time to figure something out."

She wanted to believe him, but instead her heart just broke a little more.


	26. The Lightning Strike

A week later, Isaac, Bellamy and Clarke left for Arkadia, accompanied by a group of hand picked Estate Guards.

John had come to see Odette more than once since then, but she insisted he spread out hisi visits. She was becoming increasingly nervous of him getting noticed by the guards.

The nights without him were the worst; she tossed and turned, accustomed to the warmth of his body next to hers. She didn't know how much longer they could keep the nightly visits up. Once Isaac returned and things began to go back to normal, it would be even more difficult to see each other. She felt him slipping away with each passing day.

She worried about when Isaac would begin to expect her to perform any "wifely duties." She knew, eventually, it would be expected for her and Isaac to share a bedroom. As Governor and Governess, an heir would be necessary. The thought made her shutter. Perhaps once, when she was younger and had not known John, she could have easily entertained the idea. Isaac was one of her most cherished friends growing up, and he was handsome enough. But now, the thought of being with anyone other than John felt wrong. And she wasn't ready to be a mother, no where near ready. Isaac would just have to accept that, and so far, he had.

Two weeks passed with Isaac gone. She wasn't sure how long he was planning on staying, but his absence allowed her to sneak in more moments with John. But every morning when she woke, her chest felt tight with anxiety, fearing today was the day he'd return and she'd have to finally say goodbye.

One morning, Odette awoke with a start. She couldn't remember what had caused her to wake so suddenly, but her heart was beating wildly against its ribbed cage.

She let her maids dress her, dreading the breakfast with her Uncle-in-law. Meals with Basil were awkward and stressful; she had never been close with him.

That morning, she particularly was not looking forward to breakfast with him, as she couldn't shake her uneasy feeling.

Odette shuffled her feet towards the dining room, realizing she was slightly earlier than usual this morning. She'd hoped to get some coffee in her before Basil arrived.

When she turned the corner and entered the dining room, Basil was already there, speaking with his closest Lieutenant, Dearborn, his back turned to her.

"...her arrest," she heard Basil finish. She stopped short in the doorway.

Basil turned to her, following Dearborn's gaze over his shoulder.

"Ah, Odette, good morning," he cooed.

Dearborn bowed slightly, "your grace," he addressed her.

Confused, Odette nodded, "good morning," she said, before making her way to the table.

Basil acted strangely the rest of breakfast, overly talkative, as if trying to drown out the words she'd heard before.

Whose arrest had he been whispering about? She'd heard nothing of it. From her understanding, there was no one in the cells under the Estate: the jail specifically for political prisoners. Unless he'd been talking about the prison across the City, for petty criminals and killers alike. But what would Basil be doing concerning himself with any of that?

But then another thought crossed her mind: maybe the arrest hadn't happened yet.

* * *

Odette had been uneasy the rest of the day. She'd checked the arrest ledger and found none since John. Seeing his name there made her blood boil.

Basil had been absent for dinner, leaving her to eat alone, which she didn't mind at all.

By the time she'd finished eating her meal, she'd made up her mind to confront Basil. She was Governess and Acting Protector, she had a right to know what he was doing.

She'd retired to her room, dismissing all of her maids by claiming to be tired. After twenty minutes had passed, she slipped from her room and made her way to Basil's study, his most frequented room.

Numerous guards patrolled the hall but paid her no mind, simply nodding.

Basil's office wasn't far from her room. It was in the same wing, at least, simply another floor.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see no guards in front of the door. She walked slowly, cautiously. The door was slightly ajar, the warm glow of the fireplace peaking out.

Odette heard muffled voices just beyond the door. Instinctively, she leaned closer to hear, feeling her heartbeat begin to quicken. Eavesdropping on one of the most powerful people in the City was probably not the best idea, but that man was clearly keeping secrets, and she wanted to know them.

Standing along the wall with her ear closest to the door, Odette could hear three separate voices in the study. One was unmistakably Basil, while she couldn't place the other two.

"When can we arrest her, then?" she heard Basil ask, clearly agitated. "She's already caused quite a fuss."

"Not for at least a week, your grace," the other man spoke. 'Your grace?' Why was he using an honorific title? 'Your Grace' was reserved specifically for the Governor and the Governess.

"It's best to wait until he is out of the way," the third man continued. "We can't risk word getting out of her arrest before he's dead. That would cause too many questions."

 _Dead? Until whose dead?_ She thought.

Basil grunted in anger, "it would have been much easier if the poison would have just finished her off."

"They leave Arkadia one week from today, your grace," the second man began. "The Guards have orders to assassinate him on the first day of their journey back. Rowan has the bow, two other guards will be killed in succession. It would look like an attack by the savages; one that we can pin on her and her savage lover. It wouldn't have worked out this well if she'd died from the poison. This way, we can arrest her for treason, and she will be out of your way," he finished confidently.

Odette felt like a brick had been dropped in her stomach. Assassinate. Poison. Arrest.

It all clicked.

She hadn't been sick, she'd been poisoned. Basil was going to have Isaac killed, and arrest her and John for it.

She clasped her hand to her mouth, trying to keep a whimper from slipping out. Sweat began to accumulate on her forehead, but she felt as if she'd been thrown into icy water.

It was Basil's idea for Isaac to go to Arkadia in the first place. Basil was the one who had convinced him to go.

All to assassinate him. His own nephew.

With Isaac dead and her arrested for his assassination, there'd be nothing stopping Basil from taking the City for himself, especially since he clearly already had the guards in his pocket.

Basil sighed, "I suppose. Which guards won't be making it back?" he asked.

"Owens and Redding, your grace."

"Mm. Do they know of their sacrifice?"

"No, your grace."

"A pity," Basil said flatly. "On another note, how is the second batch coming?"

"Slowly," the first guard spoke, "they are designing them to inflict maximum casualties this time."

"They can't be too destructive, remember. I need that technology enact," Basil reminded.

"Of course, your grace."

The bombs. Basil had been behind the bombs - and he was making more.

"Any estimate on when they will be ready?" he asked.

"Not as of yet," the man answered.

"Hmph. Well, that's enough for now. Return to your posts; you're dismissed. We will talk more tomorrow," Basil finished.

In her state of shock, it took Odette a moment to register that the men were leaving.

She leapt away, scuttling down the hall, her heart in her throat and tears on her cheeks.

It was Basil. He was behind all of it.


	27. A Call to Arms

Odette paced anxiously in her room. It had been at least five hours since she'd overheard Basil's plans, and the nausea had finally subsided. The time alone had allowed her to figure out her own plan. Now, all she could do was wait.

John finally snuck into her room just after midnight. She was across the room, sitting on the window seat.

"John," she breathed, nearly falling in her haste to stand.

He saw the urgency in her eyes and met her in the center of the bedroom, catching her in his arms.

"What? What is it?" he asked as she hugged him tightly.

"It's Basil," she choked, pulling back to look at him, "he's behind everything, all of it."

"Basil?" he furrowed his eyebrows, "isn't that... Isaac's Uncle, right?"

"He bombed Arkadia. He's going to kill Isaac."

John shook his head for a second, as if processing, "he- what?"

She exhaled, trying to gather her many thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"Basil wants to be Governor. He's wanted it all long. He poisoned me, to get me out of the way. He's going to have Isaac assassinated and blame it on us. He's having more bombs made for Arkadia-"

"He poisoned you? You weren't sick?" John interrupted.

She nodded and went on to explain all that she had heard in Basil's study. John listened without interrupting again. When she was finished, he turned to sit on the bed, as if the weight of the information was too heavy for him. He studied the floor while she waited for him to say something, _anything_.

"Well that's... problematic," he concluded, running a hand through his hair; it clung together just the way she liked it.

"We have to stop him. We have to save Isaac."

John grimaced, "do we, though?"

Odette shot him a look, cold and cutting.

"Let me get this straight," he said, standing, "you want us to save the man who locked me up and forced you to marry him in exchange for my freedom?"

She pursed her lips then sighed. "I need you to," she pleaded.

He shook his head in silent disbelief, "let me get this straight, you want _me_ to save the man who locked me up and forced you to marry him in exchange for my freedom?"

"He doesn't deserve to _die_ , John," she tried to explain as he turned from her, headed towards the window. She followed him, "the City needs him. If he dies, Basil will become Governor, more Sky People will die, and we will be hung for treason."

John stopped, his back turned toward her. He was silent, staring at the floor instead of out the window in front of him.

"If it means saving you, I'll do it." His voice was so low it was nearly a whisper.

She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around him, laying her cheek agaisnt his back. She felt him raise his hand to cover hers.

They stood like that for a moment, bathed in the soft low light of the moon through the window, silent.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you," she whispered into his back.

He turned to face her, keeping her in an embrace.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "He nearly killed you with poison, he nearly killed me with bombs. You're right: he needs to be stopped."

She squeezed him tighter.

"But I am _not_ doing this for Isaac. Got it?" he reminded her. He was so stubborn it nearly made her giggle.

She brought her lips to his and softly kissed him, "got it."

"So, I assume you have a plan?" he asked, raising an eyebrow seductively.

She only smirked, "of course."

* * *

Murphy left for Arkadia the next morning, a letter from Odette in his pocket and the whisper of her kiss on his lips.

He'd been so reluctant to leave her, knowing this was the last of their moments alone together.

The irony of leaving her to save the man who would separate them when he returned was not lost of him.

But as much as he hated it, Odette was right. For all of them to survive- Basil needed to be stopped. Isaac had to live, unfortunately. And he had to be the one to save him.

It was his 3rd journey from the City to Arkadia, and he knew the road well. The Dead Zone was still the worst of it, full of dust and death. He was able to travel quicker on his own, crossing it in one go. Once he was in the woods, he slept. A rogue grounder was the least of his concern, at this point.

It took him four more days to cross the woods, on the fifth day, he saw Arkadia. He'd need to sneak in undetected, or at least as undetected as possible. If any of the Estate Guards got word that he'd arrived, everything could be ruined.

He waited at the tree line until night fell, watching the guards patrolling the fence. He was hoping to see a familiar face.

It was late into the night when he decided to approach. He could only hope all of the Estate Guards would be asleep by now.

He walked slowly, with his hands up. Two guards raised their guns towards him as he approached, but stayed silent, signally for the gate to be lifted. With any luck, they'd recognized him.

The two guards greeted him at the gate. He recognized their faces but couldn't remember names.

"Don't tell anyone I've arrived," he instructed, "bring me Bellamy Blake, and the Governor."

* * *

The guards left him in an empty tent. He was slightly surprised they'd listened to him, agreeing to keep his arrival quiet and going to retrieve Bellamy, and probably Kane or Abby.

As expected, Bellamy wasn't alone when he walked into the tent, Clarke, Octavia, Lincoln and Kane all followed him. Isaac walked in last. Murphy swallowed the rage that began to rise in the back of his throat.

"Bellamy," he greeted, "and company."

"Murphy, what are you doing here?" Bellamy asked, crossing his arms, as usual. The others circled around, scowling.

"I have some, uh, unfortunate news." He reached into his bag and pulled out the letter Odette had written for Isaac. "Your Uncle is plotting to kill you, and then the rest of us," he said bluntly, handing the letter to Isaac.

"What?" Isaac nearly laughed, "that's absurd." Nonetheless, he grabbed the letter and began to read.

Murphy quickly explained what Odette had told him about the bombs, the poison, the arrests and the assassination. The group listened silently.

When he was finished, Bellamy had one question: "and why should we believe you? Why would you come here to save the man who locked you up?"

Isaac looked up, stunned. He handed the letter to Bellamy, who stood beside him. "it's... true." he said absently, "Odette wrote it all here, she wouldn't lie. Not about this." He brushed his hand throw his hair.

"So you believe him?" Octavia asked.

"I believe _her_ ,"Isaac said, "That's her seal, her handwriting and her signature. She wouldn't lie about this. Even after everything... she wouldn't."

Octavia turned to Murphy, clearly not sold on the situation, "Then you came all this way to save him?"

"I'm not here for him. I'm here for her." Murphy turned to Isaac, "you need to come back to the City. They are going to arrest Odette for treason. That's punishable by execution. We have to stop your Uncle."

Isaac nodded, "I'll go."

"And we will come with you," Bellamy said, glancing at Clarke, who nodded. "Octavia, Lincoln, arrest the guards. Don't let them leave. Basil cannot know we are coming. He can't know his plan failed."

Kane nodded, accepting the letter from Bellamy, "we will make sure they don't leave. Send word once you've taken the City."

Murphy looked at Clarke, Bellamy and Isaac, "then we leave. Tonight."


	28. Exile Vilify

[I'm sorry this chapter is so short, I've been very busy. But we are so close to the end! I expect to finish by Chapter 30 or 31.]

* * *

Odette knew her arrest was coming.

It had been a week to the day since she overheard Basil's plan. It was the day Isaac was supposed to be assassinated, and her arrest would quickly follow. Even the people seem to know: they had begun to cling to the iron gates of the Estate, waiting.

For the past week, she'd laid out her plan. She imagined every way it could go; every scenario. She refused to be taken by surprise.

She refused to believe that John wouldn't return with Isaac.

She needed to force Basil's hand. She needed to make him arrest her where and when _she_ wanted it; that was key.

So, she decided to give him the hint that she knew what was coming.

Late that afternoon, she packed a bag, and proceeded to "sneak" out of the Estate, fully knowing Basil would have eyes on her.

A guard posted near the rear door stopped her, as she expected.

"Your grace, may I inquire as to where you are going?"

Odette acted as if she was flustered, "out," she said, flatly. She began to push past him, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I would suggest you return to your room."

She shook it off and pulled the door open, heading into the garden.

People were pushed agaisnt the fence, watching her. She needed to get out there, she needed to be surrounded by them. They were part of her plan.

Guards began to walk behind her, quickening their step as she reached the gate. As she pushed it open, they dove for her. She felt her bag pulled from her shoulder, and she yanked herself free falling into the crowd. The people back away, leaving a space around her.

She fell to her knees in front of them, knowing this is exactly what needed to happen.

There she was, surrounded by people from the City, with guards at her back, pulling her to her feet: disgraced.

"Odette Hale, you are under arrest for plotting the assassination of the Governor," she felt handcuffs close around her wrists.

She faked a sob, pathetic and lowly. "No," she gasped, as the yanked her backwards.

"the baby!" she screamed, a shrill cry that echoed through the crowd.

The guard who held her was as stunned as the rest of them, loosening his grip. She tore away from him, hands still bound together. She flung herself away from him, making as much as a show as she could.

She gritted her teeth in a sneer, "keep your hands off me," she growled. "I am the Governess and I carry the Governor's heir," she nearly yelled, letting all those around her hear. "Kill me," she breathed, "and you kill the Governor's heir."

The guards were clearly unamused, shaking their surprise from their shoulders. They dove for her again, grabbing her by arms and dragging her toward the Estate. But she wouldn't let the crowd forget, no, they needed to know. "The baby!" she screamed, "be careful, the baby!"

* * *

She was locked in the same cell John had been. The guard who had slammed the cell door in her face had reminded her.

It had been a day, at least, before Basil came to visit.

He swaggered into the basement as if he'd already been pronounced Governor.

"Ah, Miss Odette, don't you think you're smart."

She stood from the dirt she sat in, brushing the mess from her pants, trying to remain as dignified as she could, as a prisoner.

"It's 'Your Grace' now, if you don't recall," she reminded, unhinged by his predator demeanor.

"Not for long," he said, stopping in front of her cell, "I must say, a baby? How very smart of you, the entire city is talking about it."

She smirked proudly, "as they should be."

"Of course," he began, "we both know this will only buy you a few months."

"Because you killed Isaac," she played along, swallowing deeply.

He tilted his head, "now, now, we don't have to say it so bluntly? do we? It was his time. His father should have given me the Governorship and we all know it. I deserve it. I worked my entire life for it." He sighed, "it's a shame he had to die, it truly is, but it was necessary."

Odette grabbed the bars in a show of anger, "no, Isaac was a good Governor, he deserved it, not you."

Basil chuckled, "well, it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? I don't want to know how you found out, I don't need to." He took one step closer to her cell, "but know this: he is dead, and you are soon to follow."

She smirked again, "not too soon, though."

He stepped back, clearly annoyed, "no, not too soon. But in a few months everyone will know you are not pregnant, and I will get to kill you." He turned on a heel and made for the door.

"And if I am?" she asked.

He stopped and turned again, facing her, "you aren't, not with Isaac's at least. I have eyes and ears everywhere. If you are pregnant, it's not an heir, it's a bastard."

She kept a straight face, hoping to keep him guessing, "well, I guess you'll have to deal with nine months of me in this cell, living beneath you, having a child that will have more claim to the Governorship than you. The people know their heir is coming, and they will back him, not a usurper like yourself. Don't get too comfortable."

Basil cocked his head, "we both know it's not the Governor's heir."

"The people don't know that," she reminded.

"They will," he said, flatly. He turned again, and began to climb the stairs.

She watched as he went, "it's a shame you'll have to wait until I have the baby to kill me."

Basil stopped on the stairs and turned to look at her, "yes, I supposed I will have to wait a while to kill you. Good thing I am a patient man."

And with that he continued up the stairs, leaving her in the still silence. His words didn't scare her, she knew John was coming.

She knew John would come for her.

Her boy from the sky, he would come for her.


	29. A Cinematic Plea for an End

It took Murphy, Bellamy, Clarke and Isaac five days to reach the Unclaimed Territories. Murphy was less than thrilled with their timeline, but traveling with four people had proven slower than expected. No party was particularly fond of the other. Bellamy and Clarke mostly kept to each other, leaving Murphy and Isaac to walk alone.

Neither had said much to the other until they came upon the Unclaimed Territories. As they walked the streets of broken buildings and grey sky, Isaac caught up with Murphy.

"I still don't fully understand why you came all that way to save me," he began. "You could have let me die. You _should_ have let me die. You and Odette would have free reign of the place... I can't pretend it's not my fault that-"

Murphy cut him off, "I didn't go all that way to save you, I went all that way to save her. If you died, she would have died, too."

Isaac nearly laughed, "that's quite a finite way of looking at things."

Murphy stopped short, trying to keep his composure, "life on the Ground, outside of the City, is that finite. A moment separates life and death, and if that moment is me saving you to keep her alive, then so I'll do it, but I won't like it."

And with that, they continued walking. Isaac kept quiet.

* * *

When they arrived within city limits, Bellamy gave Isaac a hood to keep his face hidden. The group made their way through the crowds, heads down and feet steady.

Isaac brought them to a safe house he had long since established with his closest guards. They waited a day, recovering, expecting a guard to check in as they are supposed to every 24 hours. Murphy understood this was necessary, but he hated every moment of it. He knew every hour they waited there was another hour of Odette in a cell.

It was something he was all too familiar with.

Around midnight, they heard the door unlock, and a very surprised guard entered.

"Your grace," he quickly shut the door behind him and dipped into a bow.

Isaac stepped forward, "Watson, I need you to tell me exactly what is happening," he demanded.

The guard nodded, "your uncle he..." the guard stumbled, at a loss for words at this surprise, "he has arrested the Governess for high treason: for your assassination." He looked toward Murphy, "he's given the permission to shoot him on sight."

Isaac glanced toward Murphy, but quickly turned back toward Watson, "and? Am I presumed dead?"

"We don't know," Watson shook his head, "Basil has appointed himself Governor in your absence, he's proclaimed that he fears you dead, but there is no proof."

Isaac nodded, "well, clearly I am not dead. Have all of the Estate Guards turned to him? Are there any we can still trust."

Watson nodded, "there is, you're grace, but there is another thing..."

"What is it?" Isaac asked.

"The Governess, there are rumors..." he began.

Murphy stepped forward, "what rumors?" he asked.

"She's pregnant," Watson swallowed.

Isaac was at Murphy's throat in a moment, pinning him agaisnt the wall, "I swear, if you got my wife pregnant..." he trailed off angrily.

"Well, we all know it wasn't you," Murphy spat.

"Stop!" Clarke yelled, pulling Isaac from Murphy. "This isn't the time." She turned back to Watson, "gather what Guards are still loyal. We need a way into the Estate. We need to take down Basil."

* * *

Odette lay on the dirt floor in her cell. It had been days since anyone had visited her. A guard had brought food and water the day before, but none had come today. She felt her stomach eating itself, angry and wanting. It was painful, but overshadowed by the doubting feeling in her heart. John should be back by now, back safe with Isaac. And yet here she was, alone, still, in the dark.

Suddenly she heard the door screech open, and heavy quick feet on the stairs. Normally, when a guard entered, they took their time.

She stood quickly, brushing the dirt from her backside.

"Hello?" she asked, anxiety building.

A figure emerged at the bottom of the stairs, and she knew it immediately.

"Odette," his voice called.

She flew to the bars, pressing herself agaisnt them, squinting her eyes in the low light, "John?"

"Odette!" John appeared in front of her, as if from a dream. Before she could process what was happening, he was fumbling with keys in his hand.

"John!" She nearly yelled in joy, feeling tears burn from behind her eyes. "John, you made it! You're alive!" she pressed herself agaisnt the bars, reaching out to touch him.

He grabbed her, kissing her hard between the iron beams. "Odette," he breathed, nearly laughing.

"You made it. I knew you would," she said again.

John played with the keys in his hand, looking for the correct one. He forced a large silver key into the hole and turned it, unlocking the cell with easy.

Odette pushed the door open and jumped into his arms, tears building in her eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay," John said over and over, holding her close.

He pulled back, grabbing her face, studying her as if he'd never seen her before.

"You're alive," she breathed, her voice breaking.

"Yes," he whispered. He glanced down and then back at her, "I heard..." he trailed off.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "you heard what?" she asked, confused, "is Isaac alright?"

"Yes, yes he's fine," he shook his head, "I heard.. are you pregnant?" he asked, honestly.

Odette felt her heart sink, she hadn't anticipated this.

"Oh, oh no..." she answered, "I said that to give me more time..."

She watched has something in his faced softened. But it wasn't relief or any sort of happiness... it was sadness behind his eyes, disappointment, even.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Did you... Are you disappointed?" she asked, nearly a whisper.

He shook his head, at a loss for words. "I... I don't know," he said truthfully.

She sighed, brushing hair from his face.

"I haven't loved much in this life," he admitted, "but I have loved my family."

She smiled, "I know."

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. "We don't have time," he explained, "Bellamy, Clarke and Isaac are upstairs. They're making their way to Isaac."

She nodded, understanding what was about to happen.

"It's going to end tonight," John said, "Basil is expected to be in the dining room. He has plenty of guards on his side, but we have enough to make a stand."

Odette nodded again, if this was how it was going to end, she wanted John to be by her side. This was how she wanted it to be.

"Then this is it," she agreed.

John sighed, "knowing my life, this is probably just the beginning, but yeah, this is it."


	30. How it Ends

_This is it! The final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading! It took me a year to finish but I'm so happy with the results. Comments are welcomed! This chapter is named after How it Ends by Devotchka. Enjoy and thank you again! ~Carly_

* * *

Odette and Murphy rushed up the steps, weapons in hand. He'd brought a gun for each of them from the safe house; it was all he could carry without rising suspicion.

Bellamy, Clarke and Isaac should already have been nearing the dining room. The plan was simple, use the Isaac's loyal guards to disarm Basil's unknowing men throughout the estate, leaving the path open for them to get to Basil. Bellamy, Clarke, and Isaac, however, knew they'd still have to fight their way through, and each were armed with a fully loaded rifle.

Isaac had considered striding back into the Estate with his guards behind him and arresting Basil, but he wanted to catch the traitors in the act. He explained it would be the only way to ensure Odette's innocence.

When they reached the hall, they stepped over the body of the guard Murphy had knocked out with the butt of his rifle. Odette only glanced down, unnerved, as they moved away from him.

"Do you know the way to the dining room?" he whispered. Though he'd been down these exact halls before, he could not retrace his path.

Odette nodded, "follow me."

Reluctantly, he agreed, "be careful, most of Basil's guards should be taken out by now but I wouldn't be surprised if we find more."

* * *

Odette led John through the halls, guns drawn to their chests. She felt the cold steel of a knife agaisnt her ankle, tucked away in her boot. They rounded each corner slowly, cautiously. If a guard appeared before them, guns drawn, she was prepared to shoot, but it would be nearly impossible to tell who was on their side and who wasn't before it would be too late.

They had come across a few Estate guards, but many were already disarmed and tied up, or knocked out cold. None of Isaac's guards were in the halls, Odette assumed he needed all their fire power in the dining room.

They were nearly to the french doors when they heard a group approaching with heavy steps, moving quickly. Odette pressed herself agaisnt the wall, but John leaned forward. The group of guards was upon them in a moment, and they didn't hesitate to pull their weapons, but John was quicker, and he mowed the three down in quick succession. The three men fell instantly, eyes open and empty.

As John let his gun down, the silence was buzzing. He looked to her as he caught his breath. She only nodded in support, and the two continued to the dining room. She refused to look down as she rounded the bodies.

* * *

When the reached the double doors to the dining room, they listened for a moment. They had heard no gunshots as they approached and now the only heard muffled voices.

Odette took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She knew a stand off was beyond that door; guns pointed at other guns, and only one side would get out alive.

Together, they each grabbed a door handle pushed their way into the room. In front of them, Bellamy, Clarke, Isaac and a slew of his guards stood with their guns drawn toward Basil, who stood across the room, away from the table. Behind him were ten of his own guards. It was nearly an even match.

The room went silent as they entered and Isaac glanced back.

Fuming at the sight of Basil, Odette pushed her way forward to stand beside Isaac. John followed.

"Ah, I should have expected," Basil smirked when he saw her, his arms were raised above his head as if in surrender, but the armed guards behind him with guns raised suggested other intentions. "Let me guess, you sent your little lover boy to save your husband?" He glanced to John, "what a sacrifice you've made," he said dryly.

"Shut up," John spat, raising his rifle toward him.

Basil only chuckled, "I'm afraid I'm no good at that, savage." He turned back to Isaac, "what do you do now, boy? Kill your uncle in cold blood? Your only living family?"

Isaac gritted his teeth, "you had no problem killing your only family when you sent your Guards to kill me."

Basil sighed, "I am sorry about that, necessary evils, I'm afraid. Your father should have given the Governorship to me, we both know that," he took one small step forward, everyone tensed, "but he was a selfish man. He chose you, a inexperienced child, out of spite."

"It is mine by right," Isaac said simply. Odette clung harder to the rifle that hung over her shoulder.

"I have a proposal," Basil droned on, "no one knows you are alive, son. This is your chance, _this is your chance_ ," he repeated vigorously, "your chance for freedom, to live a life outside of responsibility. I will let you, your wife and the savages leave the City alive. You can all go back to Arkadia and live as you wish, without the weight of a city on your shoulders. I will take it for you, son. I will bare the burden."

He almost sounded convincing, but Odette knew Isaac better. He wouldn't fall for this. He'd been raised for duty. It was in his blood; it's what he lived for. He didn't want anything else. Not even her.

Isaac shook his head, "no, Uncle. It is my burden and my joy."

Basil released his arms from the air and let them lay limp at his sides, "then, so be it, nephew."

Odette wasn't sure who fired the first shot, but within an isntant bullets were flying across the dining room. She flew to the floor, feeling John's arm over her. She dove for the table, firing two shots into no where. The room was a frenzy of blood and bullets; the sides were no longer clear. She clawed for John behind her, but he was just out of reach at the end of the table. She positioned herself under a chair, resting her arm and gun on the seat to take aim. She only got one shot off before she felt strong hands pulling her back from under her arms.

For a moment, she was in the forest again, being dragged from sleep into the cold grasp of a Grounder with a death wish.

Her captor pulled her to her feet and she felt a knife at her throat. Again, the forest flashed before her eyes.

"Odette!" John roared as he jumped from below the table. The bullets ceased at his outburst and the room went still, focusing on Odette and the man behind her.

"Love is weakness, you know," Basil whispered harshly into her ear, pushing the end of the knife into her soft neck. She felt a warm drop of blood run down to her collar bone.

She dropped the gun instantly and it clattered to the floor. She saw Isaac across the room, holding his side as blood seeped through his shirt. John kept his gun trained on Basil, who used her as a shield.

"Put the guns down or I cut her throat," Basil threatened, specifically to John.

She looked to him and saw the torment behind his eyes. She had never seen such fear there.

"John," she cooed, trying to calm him, whilst nearly forgetting to breath herself, "take the shot."

He shook his head once and swallowed hard, as if he couldn't speak. It broke her heart.

"John," her voice cracking, she felt tears begin to brim in her eyes. "John, it's okay. You need to save Isaac."

He didn't respond at all this time, just continued to hold the gun, continued to contemplate his choice. She could see the debate raging in him.

She couldn't force him to make this decision. It wasn't his to make.

How could she have forgotten?

"It's okay," she whispered again.

Odette raised her head, hoping to distract Basil, and she slowly lifted her leg. In an instant, she grabbed the blade from her boot and spun around, digging the knife into Basil's neck.

She stood before him as he fell, knees first, to the tile floor. She starred down at him, suddenly transported to a forest, watching a Grounder bleed out in front of her. But it was Basil. He held his neck, trying to keep in the blood, as if his hands would do anything.

She listened as he choked on his own blood.

She felt hands on her shoulders and then John was before her.

"Odette, Odette, are you okay?" he asked frantically.

She looked up at him, confused, and then down at her hands. Her right hand was soaked with bright, warm blood. She starred at it, before closing it into a fist.

"Yes," she said simply, "yes."

* * *

She found John on the balcony that stretched out from her room at the Estate.

The night had come and gone, and Isaac had been restored to power. Odette was clean of blood and John was clean of worry.

"Hey," she said softly as she came up behind him.

He turned to greet her and leaned against the railing. The sun was just beginning to rise in the east, and the sky was a soft canvas of blue and pink.

She came beside him and leaned over the rail, gazing out over the rooftops of the City.

"Before I met you, I'd never left this place," she said absent-mindedly.

John turned and rested his arms on the railing beside her, letting his shoulder touch hers.

"I know," he said.

"You changed everything," she looked at him, "everything."

He chuckled, "you did that yourself, Odette. I could never stop you."

She smiled, "no, you couldn't."

The two stood in silence for a moment, appreciating the peace that surrounded them for the first time in weeks.

"Basil and his guards will be tried for high treason and executed," Odette broke the silence, "and..." she trailed off.

"And?" he asked, looking down at her, raising his eyebrows.

"And Isaac is annulling our marriage."

John nearly lost his grip on the balcony rail, "what?" he asked, stunned.

"Annulled. It never happen-" before she could finish, John was swinging her in his arms. She giggled wildly as he put her down, showering her in a flutter of kisses.

He pulled away, grinning wider than she'd ever seen him do before.

"So, now what?" he asked, holding her close, "we can't stay here..." he glanced toward her room.

"No, we can't," she sighed, "there is always the apartment. We could go back there, get jobs, live in peace, grow old..." she trailed off and glanced out toward the slowly rising sun.

John studied her, "but we can't do that, can we?" he asked.

She turned back to him and shrugged, "after all this? No, I don't think we can."

He sighed, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but we could go back to Arkadia."

She perked up at his suggestion, "we could? Are they not joining the City?"

John shook his head, "Bellamy and Clarke made it sound like they were going to stay at Arkadia until they are sure no more survivors from the Ark crash are out there. Once they come here, they'd never be able to find them."

"Sounds like an adventure," she smiled.

He groaned jokingly, "yes, it does."

She hit him playfully on the shoulder and pulled away, leaning forward on the balcony again. The sun had slowly begun to creep above the horizon.

"I love you, you know," John said from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled softly, "I know," she said, and she turned back to the sun. "You fell from the stars to be here. This is where you were meant to be."

She felt him wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. "I know," he whispered.


End file.
